Here's to the Night
by KeikoTakishita
Summary: The night that changed their lives three months ago will impact the rest of their existence. Now, they deal with the scars left behind. Sequel to The Beginning of Forever.
1. Prologue: Here's to the Night

"_How long do you think it will be until we destroy the seal?" Beelzemon asked._

"_It will take approximately year," Barbamon said. He turned and smiled at the other Digimon. "And until then, we can just watch. And wait."_

_Lucemon grinned. "Excellent."_

**

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**

"We've all changed so much over one summer," Keiko said softly, looking around the circle of her friends. Tamotsu and Michiko weren't there, though. It was decided that the remaining six Digi-destined would get together. "I can't even believe it."

"After everything that's happened, I can," Kouji said, staring at his glass of soda. "But you're right. We have all changed."

It was true, they all looked pretty different. Tomoki was now a teenager, and his voice had become deeper, not to mention that he had shot up a few inches. He was now a bit taller than Michiko, and the same height as Keiko.

Junpei looked a lot different, too. His hair was pretty much the same style as usual, but he was beginning to look much more adult than the others. He was still growing, and still as muscular as before, maybe even more so.

Kouichi still had the same shaggy hairstyle as usual, but his voice was no longer higher than all of the other guys'. It was a tenor, now, and he had also begun to fill out a bit. He wasn't as lanky as before.

Izumi was every bit as pretty as before, except even more. She had grown her hair out again so that it slung over her shoulders. Her bangs had grown out, and she always had hair sweeping across her forehead to lead behind her ear. Her body hadn't changed up much, but she grew about a half inch more. Her voice also seemed to become much more smooth than before.

Keiko had perhaps made the most radical change of them all. She had cut her hair so that it was now barely touching her shoulders. Something that had surprised everybody in her group of friends (Tamotsu was more_ pleasantly _surprised) was the way her body now looked. She now had a tantalizing curve to her hips, which left quite a bit to the imagination. It was shocking how much her sex appeal had been upped.

Kouji had changed a lot, too. He had grown taller and voice had begun to deepen much more. His face looked more mature, and this was only more for the fangirls. His body had begun to fill out, and when Kouji went swimming recently with Keiko, she was shocked to find that a hard pair of abs was under the shirt.

"We've matured so much more, I think," Izumi said. She took a sip of lemonade. "Ever since… That one night."

"That could be the only good thing that's come out of it," Kouichi murmured. "Out of anything that happened this past year."

"And now school's starting, already," Junpei added. "Damn, how the time flies."

"I know…" Tomoki ran his finger around the rim of his glass. "You all remember that night last year before school where we went around and said what we wanted the most?"

Izumi smiled. "How could I forget? That was one of the best nights of my life…"

Keiko blinked. Of course. Asashi was with her that night. "And so much has changed since a year ago."

"That night three months ago changed our lives…" Kouji held his glass up. "A… toast. To that night. And to this one."

The others nodded and put their glasses up in the air, all completely silent. "Yeah," Keiko said softly. "Here's to the night."

**

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**

Come on, now. You guys really didn't think I was going to leave it like that, did you? Here we go with the third installment: Here's to the Night!


	2. And As We Change

Okay, just so none of you are confused, the last chapter occurred 3 months after Takuya's death. And this chapter is taking place a few days later. Okay! :D

**

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**

"So, as you all know, I always do the soccer tryouts for the high school. For some reason. Because I'm a lacrosse coach." Keiji sighed. "But whatever. There will be several cuts this year. I highly doubt that any freshman or sophomores will make it onto varsity, so don't sweat it if you're only on JV. Got it?"

He turned and looked over to Ayaka, who was sitting on a chair, reading a magazine. "Can I have the sheet, Ayaka?"

The brunette peered up at him. "Huh?"

"The sheet?"

"…The sheet?"

Keiji's brow ticked. "Yes. The sheet."

"The one you gave me in the car?"

"…Ayaka."

Ayaka smiled sweetly. "I was just kidding with you."

Keiji grumbled and snatched the sheet out of her hands when she finally gave it to him. "Alright. Freshman and sophomores in one line. Juniors and seniors in another. Divide girls and guys. I want four lines. Let's get this over with." He sighed and massaged his temples. "I'm so hung over."

All the teens stared at him blankly. "You guys don't know what a hang over is? It's when you get drunk and wake up sick the next day. Don't any of you party?"

Slowly, a girl raised her hand, then mostly everybody else raised their hands. Keiji sighed. "That was rhetorical. Idiots. Go run a mile."

**

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**

"Well, we're leaving now," Naoki said, standing in front of his siblings, and their significant others in the foyer. "The jet's out in the driveway now, so we'd better get going."

"See you in two weeks," Keiko said softly, pushing a strand of wet hair behind her ear. She had just showered after the tryouts.

Naoki nodded. "Behave."

Keiji huffed. "Like we're children. We're going to be fine."

"Right. I'll see you all," the eldest child said as he headed out the door, his fiancée's fingers intertwined with his own. The shutting of the door was deafening.

"Alright, then," Keiko muttered. "We're going out to eat tonight. All six of us." He looked to Keiko's boyfriend. "Even you."

Tamotsu laughed softly, realizing that Keiji was just joking with him. "Thanks."

"Okay. Get ready. I'll meet you in my car in twenty minutes."

"Right," Keiko muttered. "Come on, Tamotsu."

The two climbed three flights of stairs to get to Keiko's room, and when they got in and shut the door, Keiko just stood there, staring down at the ground with a blank expression.

Tamotsu tilted his head to the side. "Keiko? Baby? Are you okay? What's the matter?"

"I hate him," she murmured.

"Naoki?"

She nodded. "I hate him so much."

Tamotsu moved in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "No you don't."

"I hate him."

Tamotsu pushed her damp bangs off of her forehead and he pressed a kiss to it. And then, he was kissing her all over her face, her cheeks, her eyes, her nose, her ears. But not her lips. "I'm sorry," he murmured. Then he kissed her lips. "I can't say I know how you feel, because I don't, but I can imagine you don't feel very good right now, right?"

Keiko shook her head, looking sad.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "And I'm sorry that there's nothing more that I can do. I'd love to be able to make it better, but I can't."

"I know," Keiko murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist and dropping her head to his chest. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're here."

"I've missed you."

Keiko looked up at him, furrowing her eyebrows slightly. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged and smiled a little bit. "I don't know. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"You were just over five days-"

"No, I mean, you've been here, but you haven't _been here. _You know? Like, ever since school ended last year, you've been acting pretty weird. Did something happen?"

_~Takuya.~ _"I guess I've just been stressed out over Naoki getting married. I mean, it's just going to be different."

"I understand." He kissed her again. "You should probably dry your hair. Keiji said to be ready in twenty minutes, and it's already been ten."

"You right." She pulled away and sat down at her vanity while Tamotsu took a seat on the bed. "And Tamotsu?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

**

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**

"I can't believe we already have a project. It's only the first week of school," Kouichi said, sighing heavily as he opened his computer.

"But at least we have partners," Atsuko, the girl who sat next to him in in his history class, said, smiling as she sat down on his bed. She was very pretty, with long brown hair and green eyes.

Kouji was sitting on his own bed, watching TV.

"Do you mind us being here, Kouji? I hope we're not disturbing you," Kouichi said.

"It's fine. Izumi's going to be here in a few minutes anyway. We're gonna hang out downstairs," he said, his eyes not leaving the screen.

"Okay," Kouichi said.

Kouichi and Atsuko talked quietly for several minutes, until Kouji heard a knocking on the door, and with a mumble of "Later", he walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"So," Atsuko said. "That's the infamous Minamoto Kouji? I mean, I was in his history class last year, and I was too scared to talk to him, but he's like, a person."

Kouichi laughed. "I could've told you that."

"I know!" Atsuko giggled softly. "I just wanted to see for myself. He's not all he's cracked up to be. He's kind of mean. I mean, not _mean! _But quiet."

Kouichi nodded. "He's really quiet. And he can be really cold to people, even to his friends."

"Even you?"

"Yeah, even me. It's not as bad, though. I guess he's always been a bit nicer to me."

"Aww. Brotherly love! Who is he nicest to out of all of your friends?"

Kouichi blinked. _~Wow. She's really interested in my life, isn't she?~ _"Probably Izumi." _~Or Takuya…~_

"And the meanest to?"

Kouichi smiled. "Probably Tomoki or Keiko."

"Tomoki who?"

"Himi Tomoki. You wouldn't know him. He's still in the middle school. And Takishita Keiko. You probably know her."

"I do," Atsuko said brightly. "I mean, I know who she is. I've never talked to her, though." She smiled. "So maybe I don't really _know _who she is."

Kouichi smiled. "Right."

**

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**

"You seem like you want to talk," Izumi said softly, peering at Kouji with soft green eyes. "Is something bothering you, Kouji?"

The raven blinked and looked back down at his lap. "No, I'm alright."

"Are you sure? You can tell me if you want. I'm here for you Kouji." _~Because Takuya can't be.~_

"I don't know. Just… Everything, I guess. All the stuff that's been going on. School starting up, the whole situation with Takuya and Asashi, and…" He sighed heavily. "I don't think Kouichi likes me anymore."

"_What?_" Izumi stared with wide eyes at her close friend. Kouji looked extremely sad, and it tugged at Izumi's heartstrings. "No, no, no… No, Kouji." She moved closer and wrapped her arms around him. "No, that's not true. Kouichi loves you."

Kouji didn't even flinch when she came closer. He buried his face in her shoulder, going completely limp in her embrace. Izumi was shocked that he wasn't resisting, but she didn't hesitate in rubbing his back lightly.

"It just feels like everything's changing," Kouji mumbled into her shirt. "Nothing's the same anymore."

"I know," Izumi sighed. "It's so hard. But we need to adapt. Right?"

Kouji nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks…"

"No problem!" Izumi pulled away and looked at Kouji. "You still up to watching that movie?"

Kouji smiled lightly. "Yeah, sure."

**

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**

"I don't know what I want," Tamotsu mumbled, staring at his menu. "Everything looks so good. And, uh, really expensive."

"Don't worry about it," Keiko said. "We've got you covered."

"I'm not really worried, I just know that this is going to be one of the only times I'll ever eat a meal that costs 300 dollars, so I want to make sure I pick the best one."

Keiji smirked. And in reply, Tamotsu gawked. _~An approval smirk?!? From Takishita Keiji?!? Eeeek!~_

"What're you staring at?" Keiko whispered. "Your jaw is hitting the table."

Tamotsu cleared his throat and closed his mouth. "Sorry. B-But… Keiji _smirked at me!_"

Keiko blinked. "He likes you."

"REALLY?!?" The table went quiet, and everybody stared at Tamotsu, who was pretty much hyperventilating in his seat. "REALLY?"

Keiko stared. "Yes…"

Tamotsu grinned and went back to his menu. "Sorry! Carry on, everybody."

**

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**

"Well, thanks for having me over," Atsuko said, smiling at Kouji as she pulled her sweatshirt. "It was really nice getting to know you."

"Yeah, it really was," Kouichi said, nodding at the girl. "Thanks for coming."

Atsuko rocked back on her heels. "Right, okay. I'll see you, Kouichi."

"Bye, Atsuko."

The brunette waved and walked out the door, and Kouichi couldn't help but smile. She was really sweet.

Kouji came walking down the hall, and he stared at Kouichi for a moment. "Hey."

The older of the two turned. "Hey, Kouji. Izumi left?"

Kouji nodded and rubbed his eye with his fist. "Yeah."

"Is something wrong?" He headed over to his twin. "What's the matter?"

Kouji shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm going to bed now." He turned around and walked to the staircase. "Goodnight."

Kouichi blinked. "Night…"

**

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**

"One day, a man went to the horse racing area. Instead of counting the number of humans and horses, he counted 74 heads, and 196 legs. Yet, he knew the number of humans and horses, there. How did he do it, and how many humans and horses are there?" Kouji blinked. "What the fuck? When are we ever going to use this in life? I mean, what kind of guy counts heads and legs. Fucking idiotic son of a bitch." The raven glared at Keiko, who was writing something down in a notebook. "What are you doing?" He gawked. "How did you solve that?"

Keiko waved Kouji over, and he moved to her side, looking at the piece of paper. "Okay," Keiko said, pointing at the paper. "HM is human, and HR is horse. HM and HR equal out to be 74. But _2_HM and _4_HR equal 196. So you add both pairs, and then subtract them, and it comes out being 196 minus 148. 2HR equals 48, divide by two, and it's 24. Then, HM plus 24 equals 74, so you subtract 24 from both sides, and we find out that there are 24 horses and 50 humans!"

Kouji stared. "Shut the _fuck _up."

"What's your problem, today? You're even meaner than usual."

"Sorry," Kouji grumbled. "Just stuff."

"You… wanna talk?"

"Not really. I already talked to Izumi about it."

"Oh." Keiko turned back to her paper. "Okay, then."

Kouji ignored the weird expression on her face and pointed at the paper. "But how does that make sense? There are more humans than horses. Shouldn't there be an equal amount, since it's a _race track?_"

"Hmm. Maybe it's all the workers or something."

"Or horse-rapers."

Keiko suddenly began laughing hard at Kouji's strange joke.

Kouji glared. "What?"

Finally, she managed to stop laughing and she cleared her throat. "Sorry, sorry. It just… That sounded like something Takuya would say. It was so weird hearing you say it, that's all."

"Yeah, Takuya would say something like that," Kouji murmured.

Keiko giggled. "He said a lot of funny things. When he was around, you know. He was always the funniest one."

"It wasn't even him making jokes. He would just state the obvious. You know, shit that nobody else would ever have the guts to say."

"Yeah, you're right." Keiko stared at the paper, smiling lightly. "I miss him."

Kouji nodded and took a deep breath, trying to quell the lump in his throat. "Me too."

There was silence for several minutes, before Kouji uncharacteristically broke it. "Can you play me a song on the piano?"

Keiko blinked. _~That's weird. Something's definitely up with him. He's been acting so strange.~ _"Sure."

**

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**

"I'm not too heavy?" Michiko asked wearily, squirming lightly on Junpei's lap.

"Not at all," the older brunette said reassuringly. "You're as light as a feather. I barely feel you. I could probably bench you if I wanted to."

Michiko smiled. "Yeah, _okay, _Jun-"

Suddenly, she was up in the air, held up by Junpei's sturdy hands. "Holy crap!" Michiko squeaked. "Let me down!" She dropped back into his lap, gasping. "You weren't kidding."

"You're really light," Junpei reiterated. "Like, you can't weigh over 120."

"I'm 122," Michiko muttered, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

"That's all?" Junpei asked. He pressed a hand to her stomach. "Well, I think you're perfect the way you are."

"Thank you." Michiko curled up against Junpei's chest, reveling in the hard muscles. _~And he's all mine.~ _"I think you are too. But that's pretty obvious, right?"

Junpei shrugged and ran a hand through her auburn locks. "Nah."

Michiko sighed and moved against Junpei's stroking fingers. "You're so sweet. I never would have thought."

"Well, I'm different with you than how I am with my friends."

Michiko felt her heart flutter. He sometimes just said the nicest things, most of the time without even realizing it. Junpei made a movement to get up, but Michiko pressed a hand lightly to his chest. "Wait."

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can we just lay like this for a little while?"

Junpei smiled and pulled her closer, so he was pretty much wrapped around her. "Of course."

**

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**

"Shit." Tomoki winced. He dropped another cotton ball, dripping with peroxide, dirt and blood into the sink. He had gotten into a pretty bad fight.

He wasn't actually sure why the fight had happened, or who it was with, but he knew that in the end he had won. Still he didn't walk out completely uninjured.

Well, it probably started when they were all getting too rough, and when they began snapping back and forth at each other. But Tomoki knew, more than anything, that he had never had an outlet for the pain and anger he felt over Takuya's passing.

Yeah, he knew that this wasn't exactly the best way to deal with it, but, really, what else was he supposed to do? How else could he release the pressure? He couldn't just run into his room and scream into a pillow.

This pain was so much more than that.

"Shit," Tomoki muttered again, taking a ragged breath as he stared at himself in the mirror. "Takuya…"

**

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Yeah, yeah. I know it was REALLY short. But I'm going to actually START the story in the next chapter. This chapter was pretty much just showing their changes. :D And I wanted to introduce Atsuko. 'Cause she's really adorable.

Also, I'd like to let you know the results of both polls! First of all, the pairing possibilities one:

In first place was Kouji and Keiko, with 22 votes.

Second was Takuya and Izumi, with 17 votes.

Third place, Kouji/Keiko/Tamotsu triangle, 13 votes.

Fourth, Takuya/Keiko/Kouji triangle, 12 votes.

Fifth was Takuya and Keiko, with 11 votes.

Sixth place was a three-way between Kouichi/Keiko, Tamotsu/Keiko and Kouji/Takuya! Each had 10 votes.

Seventh was Tomoki/Shinya with 8 votes.

In eighth place there was another three-way tie between Kouji/Izumi, Takuya/Keiko/Tamotsu triangle and Junpei/Izumi. 7 votes.

Ninth was ANOTHER three-way tie with 6 votes between Kouichi and Izumi, Kouichi/Keiko/Tamotsu, and Junpei/Izumi/Takuya.

Tenth is Takuya and Kouichi with 4 votes.

Eleventh was Keiko/Tamotsu/Izumi with 2 votes.

And last was Izumi and Keiko with 1 vote.

In all we had 38 votes on the poll! Woohoo!

And the other poll was the favorite character poll.

In first place was Keiko, with 9 votes!

Second was Takuya with 5 votes.

Third was Saburo, Keiji and/or Naoki with 4 votes.

There was a tie for fourth between Tamotsu and Kouji, with 3 votes.

And a tie for fifth between Asashi and Izumi, with 1 vote each.

Keiko: Wow! I can't believe it!

Neither can I.

Keiko: Hey!

Anyways, I've got a new poll up, so make sure you all vote! :D


	3. Deep Dive

I'm so late. I'm sorry! But I'm going to go from 5 day updates to 7 day updates, just because I've been swamped with real life stuff. Aaaaanyway, I'm going to reply to the reviews, and then it'll be time for this (long awaited???) chapter!

**Review replies to chapter 2: **

**Caliboy: **I'm sorry! I know, Kouji's such a bitch. xD Hopefully we'll see some change in him! And I won't be doing the number guessing contests for now, but maybe later on I'll find a new game to play! Thanks so much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter!

**D4RKWR173R5: **Thank you! I hope you like this chapter!

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Hehe, you like Tamotsu! I'm so happy you're coming to terms with it. xD LOL, get over it. Izumi and Kouji are LOVE! I lurve me some Atsuko. She's the shit. :D I DO have plans for him, bitch. Don't jump to conclusions. Thank you for the review.

**Empyrea: **Thanks! :D I hope you like this chapter, too!

**Jennison Silverye: **I know. I'm late for this one too. xD Ooh, Kouzumi vs. Koukei. Hehe. You'll have to wait to see what happens! Thank you so much for the review, and I really hope you like this chapter too!

**Celestial Writer: **Hehe, I think it's pretty cute. :D So many questions to be answered, and the only way to figure out is to keep reading! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

Okay, so I was thinking about songs for characters and here's what I have so far:

Keiko's song: Love and Truth - YUI

Tamotsu's song: Pretty Fly - The Offspring (xD)

Theme for the girls: She Wants to Move - NERD

Theme for everyone: If We Ever Meet Again - Timbaland and Katy Perry

Song for Kouji and Keiko's friendship (or relationship if you're into that kind of thing. xD): Hot 'N Cold - Katy Perry

Song for Izumi and Kouji's relationship: Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

Song for Michiko and Junpei's relationship: Hands Down - Dashboard Confessional

Song for Keiko and Tamotsu's relationship: The Great Escape - Boys Like Girls

**

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"I wish Bokomon and Neemon were still here," Keiko murmured, scratching gently on Patamon's head. The little orange Digimon had stayed, and along with him, Lopmon and Salamon. The others were with Junpei. Patamon had decided to pay Keiko and Izumi a visit. "Don't you?"

Izumi nodded. "I miss them so much."

Keiko sighed softly, looking at the blonde with miserable eyes. "Izumi…"

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

The brunette gazed down at the floor. "I miss hanging out with you. We never talk anymore."

"What're you talking about? We're best friends!"

"I know, but… When was the last time we had a sleepover? Or the last time we did _anything _together? You've constantly been hanging out with Kouji, and-"

"You're always with Tamotsu! At least I hang out with our other friends. All you care about is your boyfriend. It's always about him. I didn't do that when I was with Asashi."

"Yes you _did! _You did, Izumi. And whenever we did hang out, all you would talk about was him. It's like the only thing that could make you happy was talking about _your_ life, and not giving a shit about mine."

"I loved Asashi. That's why I was with him all the time. You're not in love with Tamotsu, and he's not in love with you! You're just jealous because you don't know what it's like to have somebody that loves you!"

That seemed to have stung Keiko. "Right, let's make this _all _about you. Because it's always _been_ about you! Let's all be there for Izumi while she angsts about her miserable life. Let's all pay attention to only her!"

"Shut the fuck up, Keiko. Shut up. It's always about you. And maybe you don't realize it, but I give you attention all the time. You're wrong, and you're trying to antagonize me. I'm so fucking sick of you!" She stood up and grabbed her bag. "I'm leaving."

"Wait, Izumi!" Patamon cried. "Don't go. Please guys, stop fighting. Don't fight anymore, please…"

"Sorry I couldn't stay longer, Patamon." Izumi smiled apologetically at him. "But next time, come over to my house."

"Yeah, whenever she is at her house. Go whore yourself out to Kouji, Izumi, like you always do."

"_Fuck _you, Keiko!" She turned around. "And for your information, I _am _hanging out with Kouji tonight. You know, like a real friend does. Because I _am _one. Sorry that he _hates _you." She stormed out and slammed the door behind her.

"The bonds are all breaking," Patamon said softly. "You're all breaking apart."

Keiko blinked and stared across the room. "Whose bond is the worst, Patamon?"

"Light and Darkness. Ice and Thunder. And Love and Wind."

Keiko wasn't even surprised.

**

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**

"I'll miss you all," Izumi said from her seat on Kouji's bed. "I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"Me neither," Kouji said, pushing a sweatshirt into Izumi's hands. "Here."

"Huh? What's this for?" Izumi asked softly, staring at the dark blue article of clothing.

"Just in case you get cold or something," Kouji muttered, scratching the back of his head and trying to hide a blush. "I don't know…"

Izumi smiled and stood up, walking to Kouji and wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Kouji."

"Don't mention it." He ran a hand through her hair and pushed her face into his shoulder. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Izumi replied. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Kouji, don't lie to me."

"I guess that… it's just weird with Takuya gone and then you'll be gone this whole week. I don't know. I guess it just makes me uncomfortable or something. I don't know."

"It'll be okay, Kouji. It's only five days, you know. Everything's going to be okay."

Kouji sighed softly. "I know. I'm just being a baby."

"No you're not," Izumi said sternly, lifting her head up and resting her cheek on his shoulder. "You're not being a baby. This has been a big summer for you. For all of us."

"I guess you're right." There was silence for a moment, and then he spoke again. "I'm curious. Why aren't you spending your last day here with Keiko?"

Izumi huffed and stepped out of the embrace (to Kouji's immense disappointment), walking to the bed and flopping down on it. "Because she's a complete bitch, that's why."

"What do you mean?" Kouji moved over and sat next to her. "Did something happen?"

"We got into a fight. It was bad. I told her that nobody loves her." She sighed. "I feel really terrible for saying that. But I know she wouldn't want to talk to me if I called her."

"That's not true. I'm sure she would speak to you. She doesn't hold grudges very often, you know."

Izumi sighed miserably. "I know. I just can't believe I said that to her."

"Well, maybe you'll have a week to cool off, and then things will be better when you get back," Kouji suggested.

Izumi looked up at him and smiled lightly. "Maybe... Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?"

Kouji felt his heart flutter. _~Maybe the same will go for us.~ _"Right."

"You're the best, Kouji. Seriously."

**

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**

Junpei got into his SUV and turned it on, yawning as he pulled out of his driveway. He was going to hang out with Michiko, and the two were going to give each other massages. _~Perfect.~_

Michiko lived in a very nice neighborhood. There were several large studio apartment complexes, the type that you have to take a five minute ride in an elevator to get to a gigantic area with an amazing view of the city. You know, that kind.

But to get to her area in town, he had to pass through a sort of bad part of town. It wasn't like the projects or anything drastic like that, but there were a lot of nasty kids on the street.

Just as the thought passed through his mind, he turned his head and his eyes widened when he saw several kids standing around a couple of teens fighting.

Growling low in his throat, Junpei turned the car off, and got out, locking the door behind him. He pushed through the bystanders and found one kid with light brown hair on top of a blonde, punching him repeatedly.

With three long strides, he grabbed the kid on top by the scruff on his neck and ripped him off the other, tossing him to the ground. And when he saw the face of the boy, he was shocked.

"Tomoki…" he muttered.

"What the hell are you doing here, Junpei?" he asked, his eyes wide, yet angry. All of the others around him were staring as well, looking confused.

"Come on." Junpei walked past him, stopping several paces behind him. "Get in the car. I'm bringing you home."

Tomoki stood up. "No."

"Get in the fucking car, Tomoki."

"Don't tell me what to do!" For some reason, he looked close to tears.

"Alright, then." Junpei moved right over and grabbed his arm, dragging him to the car.

"Stop!" Tomoki began to struggle, scratching at Junpei's hand and yelling at him.

"Enough, Tomoki!" Junpei roared, hauling him over his shoulder, not caring how humiliated the young teenager happened to be.

He tossed him into the front seat and got into the driver's seat himself, starting the car and driving out into the night.

"What, are you stupid?" Junpei snarled. "Do you realize what you're doing, Tomoki?" The younger brunette didn't say anything. He just stared out the window. "Damn it."

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number that he had memorized. "Hey, Michiko."

He didn't notice the way Tomoki stiffened.

"_Oh, hey, Junpei!"_

"Look, I'm not going to be able to come over tonight. Something came up."

"_What's the matter? Why can't you come? Is something wrong?"_

"No, I'm fine. I can't come because-"

"Please don't tell her." Junpei turned and saw the desperate look in Tomoki's gray-green eyes. He looked devastated for some reason, and Junpei couldn't figure out why.

"_Junpei? Are you still there, baby?"_

"Yeah. I forgot I promised my mom I'd watch a movie with her. I'm sorry."

"_Oh, that's okay! Maybe tomorrow night?"_

"Sure." He turned onto another street. "I'll see you."

"_Alright. Bye!"_

"Bye."

He looked in the backseat, where the massage oil sat. He gave a bereaved groan. Fucking Tomoki.

**

* * *

**

"That was a really good movie!" Atsuko said excitedly, smiling widely happily. "I can't believe it ended like that! How sweet!"

Kouichi smiled fondly at the girl. She had spontaneously called him and asked if he wanted to go the movies with her. He said yes, and the girl seemed completely overjoyed.

"Did you like it, Kouichi?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did actually. Even though it was totally a girl movie."

"It was not!" Atsuko said, taking offense to his statement, even though the grin on her face betrayed her.

"It was about high school best friends who lose touch with each other," Kouichi said, hiding a smirk. "Definitely a girl movie."

Atsuko laughed and took Kouichi's hand in her own, swinging her arm as they walked out the door. "Well, thank you for coming, still."

Kouichi blinked and looked at their hands. _~Wow. She's really… open.~ _He felt a blush coming on.

"I'm still giving you a ride home, right?" Kouichi asked, trying to act completely nonchalant.

"If that's okay with you," she said.

"It's fine with me," he replied easily, squeezing her hand lightly.

She smiled and squeezed his hand back. "Thanks."

**

* * *

**

"I guess I really am a bad friend," Keiko said softly, swallowing around the annoying lump in her throat as she finished telling her story to Saburo and Akira (Saburo's boyfriend of three years). The two heard the fight and they came up to Keiko's room (luckily, thinking Patamon was only a stuffed animal). They brought her downstairs into the living room for some ice-cream-slash-romantic-comedy-therapy.

"You're not a bad friend," Akira said from her left side. "You guys have just had some problems lately, right? No big deal. You two just need to cool off."

"Maybe," Keiko said, eating another spoonful of her chocolate ice cream. "I just feel bad for some of the things I said. She did just lose Asashi, after all." _~And Takuya.~_

Saburo sighed. "Well, you've had a pretty tough summer too, with Naoki getting married to Aya and all. And she shouldn't have said that you don't know what it's like to be loved by anybody. She knows about Ayame, so-"

"She doesn't know about Ayame."

Saburo blinked and stared at his sister. "What?"

"I never told her about Ayame. I didn't tell _anybody _about Ayame."

"Not even Tamotsu?"

She shook her head. "Not even Tamotsu."

There was silence.

"You're… going to tell her eventually, right?" Saburo asked quietly.

Keiko lowered her eyes. "I… don't know."

"_Promise me you won't let me die."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_If I go away, don't forget me."_

"_I promise."_

Keiko stood up, placing her ice cream on the coffee table. "I'm going to bed now."

"It's only nine o'clock, Keiko," Akira said. "Are you sure you don't want to talk more?"

"I'm sure," she murmured.

Saburo watched as Keiko headed up the stairs. How odd. He didn't exactly go telling everybody about Ayame, but then again, Keiko was the closest to her.

"Hey, Akira?" he asked, something popping into his mind.

"Yeah?"

"First person to my bedroom picks our positions in bed tonight." And then he began running.

"Shit!" Akira yelled, chasing after the boy.

**

* * *

**

"Tell me why you're doing this."

Tomoki looked up at Junpei, who was sipping at a coffee. The two were currently seated on Junpei's bed. The elder brought him to his house, patching him up and giving him a new pair of clothes. It wasn't until Tomoki had to wear a pair of Junpei's shorts and his t-shirt that he realized how much _younger _he was.

"I…" Tomoki blinked. "I don't know."

Junpei sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. "I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

"Who ever said I needed help?" Tomoki demanded, glaring at the older boy."

Junpei just stared. "Tomoki. Please. Just talk to me. I can see that you're hurting."

Tomoki lowered his eyes. "Fine. I'll talk."

**

* * *

**

"Did Izumi say anything to you about our fight yesterday?" Keiko asked from next to Kouji as they sat in the sun.

"Yeah…" Kouji muttered, staring blankly ahead of him. "She did."

"Kouji, is something wrong? Your popsicle is melting all over your hand."

The raven looked down at his hand, which was sticky with ice cream, and then he looked up to Keiko, who had her feet dipped in her swimming pool, which the two of them sat on the edge of. "It's nothing."

"You're thinking of Takuya, aren't you?"

Kouji glared at nothing in particular. "Don't say his name."

Keiko blinked. "What?"

"I'm not going to live in the past anymore." Kouji tossed the popsicle over the gate and into the grass and stood up. "I'm done with it."

"What do you mean, 'you're done'? Kouji, what's-"

"I don't want to talk about Takuya, because he obviously never existed." He tore his necklace off. "And I'm not wearing this stupid thing either." It dropped to the marble floors of the pool area with a soft clink. Then, he began to leave.

"Wait, Kouji! What's wrong with you?"

"I'm just sick of this. All of this."

"All of what? Kouji, please talk to me. I'm here for you!"

"Just leave me alone, Keiko," Kouji grumbled, running off.

"Kouji, wait!" Keiko got up and stared at his quickly retreating form. Well, apparently they had retained their outside abilities. Great.

**

* * *

**

"He ran off?" Junpei asked softly into the phone. "Why? What happened?"

"_I don't know. He said he doesn't want to speak of Takuya anymore. And that he never existed. I have no idea what made him think of it."_

"Shit. I'm with Michiko right now. Listen, I'll call Izumi, and-"

"_Izumi's at her grandparents' house in Italy. Remember?"_

"Damn, you're right. I say we get everybody together and search for him. I think he needs us right now."

"_You're right. I'll call Kouichi and Tomoki. Will you let Michiko know and call Tamotsu?"_

"Sure. Let's meet somewhere. The station?"

"_Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you in a few."_

"Right. See you."

Michiko blinked when Junpei shut his phone and sighed. "What's the matter?"

"Kouji's gone. And apparently Kouichi's freaking out."

"We should go find him."

Junpei sighed, pointing to the massage oil on his bedside table. "You sure you're not upset about missing our romantic night? And your massage? …Again?"

Michiko smiled and stood up, walking over to Junpei and wrapping her arms around his chest. "I'm sure. Kouji's more important."

"Well, we'll call Tamotsu." Junpei pressed his hands to his bottom and squeezed appreciatively. "In a couple of minutes."

She grinned. "Right."

**

* * *

**

"Okay, so we're all going to split up and look around different areas. Since there's so many places to look, let's all go look in different places, okay?" Junpei looked around, and got affirmative nods from everybody. "I'll look uptown, Kouichi, you look downtown. Keiko, you go north of the city, by the river. Tomoki, go towards Kouji's house and search in the development. Michiko, you can head to the east side, and Tamotsu, you go west."

"You all have your cell phones, right?" Kouichi asked.

"Yeah." Keiko held hers up, and then everybody else did. "We'll send a mass text or something, saying we found him, right?"

Junpei nodded. "Right."

"Okay," Tamotsu said, smiling grimly. "Let's go."

**

* * *

**

Kouji sighed heavily and took a seat in the grass, laying back and looking at the sky. "Takuya," he sighed softly. "Why can't you just be here?" He instinctively reached up to grab his necklace, but found that it was gone. "Oh yeah, I tossed it away."

He sighed and blinked, putting his hand back into the grass. "Damn it." He stared at the sky again, looking at the stars and scoping out constellations. "Takuya… Shit… I know that this isn't exactly me, but I fucking miss you. Can't you just give me a hint that you're alright, wherever you are?"

Complete silence.

"Fine."

**

* * *

**

"Kouji!" Tamotsu shouted, looking around the city. "Damn it." This wasn't exactly how he wanted to spend his Saturday, searching around the city for Kouji. He was supposed to be cuddling on his couch with Keiko, but then Kouji had to go and pull a runaway bride.

"Kouji!" Of course, it was the right thing to do, because Tamotsu didn't necessarily _dislike _the teen. That didn't mean he liked him, though. Kouji had surprisingly been there when Asashi had died, and what surprised him even more was the way his attitude had shifted.

"Kouji, come the fuck out! I don't give a _shit _if you want to be all moody and broody!" Tamotsu grinned to himself. He made a rhyme.

"Shut up down there!" a woman shrieked from an apartment building. "I'm trying to sleep, here!"

"Oh, sorry!" Tamotsu yelled.

"I said, SHUT UP!"

A shoe flew out the window and smacked him on the top of the head. Yeah. Definitely not how he wanted to spend his Saturday night.

**

* * *

**

"Please come out, Kouji," Michiko said. "This isn't even funny. All I wanted to do was hang out with Junpei, and get a massage, but _no. _You have to go and run off."

The auburn haired girl cried out softly as she tripped over something and fell on her face. "Ow! Fuck you, Kouji!"

**

* * *

**

Kouichi blinked when his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was from Keiko. '_I found him. I'll give him an ass kicking for all of us.'_

The raven smiled lightly at the text and pocketed his phone. _~Good. Now I can get home and call Atsuko.~ _He felt his heart flutter. _~Atsuko… Kimura Atsuko. That sounds really nice.~_

"Hey, hey, who're you?"

Kouichi turned and saw a couple of older guys standing in an alley, all swaying slightly. They were obviously drunk. "What're you gay? Come over her and blow me, gay boy," the one closest to him said.

Kouichi was floored. He had no idea whatsoever to say to that. "Um… I-I…"

"C'mere gay boy," another called.

"I-I'm n-not-"

"Come on," another one said, wobbling over. "Come on and give me a blow job." He tossed a couple of dollar bills at him. "I'll even pay ya. Come 'ere." As he got closer, the stench of alcohol and smoke overcame Kouichi's senses. He reached out, and Kouichi's survival instincts kicked in.

He ran.

**

* * *

**

Keiko put her phone back into her pocket and took a deep breath. She had found Kouji, but she hadn't actually approached him yet. He was just sitting there, staring out at the moon. _~What do I do? Just walk up to him?~_

"Keiko, I know you're standing there. You don't have to try and hide."

_~…Damn it!~_

Keiko walked through the grass and over to Kouji. She didn't sit, but instead she stared at the moon as well. _~What do I say, what do I say, what do I say?~_

"Do you think about him every day?"

Kouji looked up at the brunette, surprised that she'd actually spoken. "Yeah," he said. "I do."

Keiko slowly sat down, pulling her legs to her chest and resting her chin on top of her knees. "And you think about Izumi a lot, too."

"I do."

"It's because you love them," Keiko said, speaking from her heart. Kouji turned his head to say something, but Keiko beat him to the punch. "Yeah. I know that you're in love with Izumi. Don't try to deny it."

Kouji sighed. "Don't tell anyone."

"I won't." Keiko tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Did you run off today because you miss them? And you can't stand it when they're not around?"

"What, are you psychoanalyzing me now?"

Keiko was visibly hurt by Kouji's comment. "I'm sorry."

Kouji sighed. "You're right. That's why I ran off."

Keiko turned her head to the side, looking at him with soft aquamarine eyes. "Does Izumi know?"

"That I'm in love with her?" Kouji smiled grimly at the girl. "No. She doesn't know."

Keiko stared down at the grass, unable to meet Kouji's gaze. "You miss all the shots you don't take," she whispered more to herself than him."

"Hn? What's that?"

"_If you don't give this love note to him, he'll never know you like him!" _

"_B-But what if h-he says no?"_

"_You'll never know if you don't try, Keiko. You can't tell the future. It's like in soccer. If you don't take a shot, you won't get it. You miss all the shots you don't take."_

"Keiko?"

"Oh, sorry." Keiko blinked. "You won't know if you don't try, though."

"We'll see." Kouji stood up, brushing his shorts off. "Ready to go? It's getting cold." He held a hand out.

Keiko took it and he pulled her to her feet, walking with her into the brisk September night.

"Oh, Kouji?"

"Hn?"

She held out his necklace. "Here."

He looked at her face, then her hand. "Thanks."

**

* * *

**

Thanks for reading kiddies! I hope you all liked it! More action/drama/romance/humor to come!

Question: Just curious, how old do you all think I am? Hehe, my creepers Morgan and Sydney can't answer, though. xD


	4. Ablaze

Hello everybody! I'm writing this from Florida/the airplane, where I'm staying with Morgan (aka, GirlsLikeeBoys- My real life best friend). Hehe, I have a couple hours to chill out, so I've decided to write this chapter. :D

Before I reply to reviews, I want to let you all know something important, from now on when I refer to Naoki's wife, I'm going to call her Aya. And when I refer to the other Ayame, I'm just going to call her Ayame.

For the record, not many people know about Ayame (none of Keiko's friends or even Tamotsu), but they all know about Aya. So! Let's get started! :D

**Review replies to chapter 3:**

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Ehehe, meaty. xD Lol, yeah, Tomoki can be pretty bad ass, you know? Sorry, doll face, but I'm not doing the contest as of now. Maybe I'll think something else up? I think a good opening would be… Er, I don't really even know. xD Maybe Hana wa Sakura Kimi wa Utukushi by Ikimono Gakari? Or Hotaru no Hikari. Or any song by Ikimono Gakari, really. xD Thanks for the review dear, I hope you like this chapter.

**Celestial Writer: **I know! Poor Kouji. D: I know, she hasn't even revealed anything about her sister! Oh, Keiko. Actually, you got the right range. xD I'm 15. Hehe, thanks for the review and I hope you like this next chapter! :D

**D4RKWR173R5: **Thanks! Actually, I'm only 15. LOL. Thanks so much for the review! I hope you like this chapter!

**Caliboy: **I'm a firm believer that men do have their periods too. xD Poor Keiko and Izumi, with their nasty little bitch fights. Hehe. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter!

**Jennison Silverye:** I know. It's so sad. D: I know, relationships can really break friendships apart. Hopefully people will be able to let out their feelings and secrets, instead of keeping them to themselves. Ahem. CoughKoujiandKeikoCough! Thank you very much for the review, and I hope you like the next chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **Thanks a bunch for the review! I hope you like this next chapter! :D

**ThankfulMemories: **Oh, thanks! Also, for the reviews on the other two chapters. I hope you like this next chapter! :D

Oh, and before we begin, I hope you all check out GirlsLikeeBoys' stories that are based off of my stories! They're called Tributes to the Beginning of Forever, and Hookup Gone Wrong (Both of which have been UPDATED!). If you like my story, you'll love those. :D Anyways, here we go!

**

* * *

**

**Warning: Sexual themes in the beginning-middle of the chapter (Moderate).**

**

* * *

**

"Two more days until Izumi comes back. Three more until Mr. and Mrs. Takishita come," Keiko murmured from Tamotsu's side.

The blonde turned and tilted his head at Keiko's melancholy expression. "What's the matter, baby?" He moved his hand over and squeezed Keiko's in his own.

Keiko sighed. "I don't know. I've just been down lately."

Tamotsu looked sympathetic. He pulled Keiko over and pushed her face into his shoulder, running his hands through her soft hair. "What's been getting to you lately, Keiko? What's going on?"

Keiko took a deep breath. "Everything," she said quietly. "Everything that's been going on. My brother getting married to that woman, Izumi hating me, Kouji pushing me away and…" _~And me finally realizing that I'm completely in love with you.~_

"And what?"

Keiko sighed softly. No. She just couldn't say it. "I don't know. I've just been tired."

"I wish I knew what I could do to help," Tamotsu said.

"J-Just…" Keiko pushed her fears away. "Just keep being you."

Tamotsu smiled against Keiko's ear. "I'll do my best, okay?"

Keiko felt a smile pull at her lips. "Thank you Tamotsu." She wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you so much."

**

* * *

**

"I'm in love with Izumi."

Tamotsu stared at Kouji, who was standing above him, looking flustered. "Um… okay? And you're telling me this _because…?"_

"You're pretty much my best guy friend, besides Kouichi, and I can't tell him, because he'd be all weird." Kouji blinked after he said this. Was Tamotsu actually that close to him? Even though they

"Aww!" Tamotsu grinned. "That touches my heart, Kouji! You're my best guy friend, too, I think!"

"Well, what do I do?"

"Hah?" Tamotsu blinked, then straightened up. "Oh! What do you do about Izumi? Well, first of all, you should treat her really well, and say things you normally wouldn't say to her. Like, when she gets home from her trip in a couple days, ask her how her trip went."

Kouji was nodding. "Okay, what else?"

"What else?" Tamotsu tapped his chin. "Well, the rest should be all you, man. When you're in love, things should be natural."

"Right…" Kouji sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I just don't know what to do. I can't believe that this is really happening, you know."

"Love's a crazy thing, dude."

"What did you do when you found out that you loved Keiko?"

Tamotsu stared. "What?"

"When you first fell in love with Keiko," Kouji said, as if it was absolutely obvious. "What did you do?"

_~Love? Keiko? Do I…?~_

"What did I do?"

Kouji nodded. "Yeah."

"I… didn't do anything," he said. "Because I…"

"Never mind," Kouji said, noticing how uncomfortable Tamotsu seemed to be. "Thanks for the advice."

"Yeah… You're welcome," Tamotsu said, giving him a wave as Kouji walked away.

**

* * *

**

When the raven went home that night, he walked in his and Kouichi's shared room at his mother's house, and he was shocked to find that Atsuko was there with Kouichi already and the two were sitting on his bed, watching TV.

"Hn." Kouji turned right back around. "I'll let you two be alone." He shut the door and went back into the living room, where his mother was sitting on the couch. "I'm so sick of love."

"What?" She looked concerned. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Kouichi and his… girl, and Tamotsu and Keiko and Michiko and Junpei…" He sighed. "I just don't know. I'm going for a walk."

"Kouji, are you sure you don't want to talk, sweetie?" she asked.

"No, I'll be home in a few minutes."

"Want me to make you something before you come home?"

Kouji couldn't help but smile. "That'd be nice."

**

* * *

**

Michiko gasped softly when her back hit the bed and she felt Junpei gracefully stretch out on top of her. He pressed kiss after kiss on her neck, and she couldn't help but squirm from his ministrations.

"You smell good," he murmured against her soft skin. "Like cherries."

"Really?" Michiko smiled and cupped the back of his head in silent encouragement. "Thank you."

Junpei nodded and moved lower, pressing kisses to her flat stomach and running his hands down her legs and to the back of her knees.

"Junpei, what are you going to-" She silenced herself when he slowly lifted her skirt up and rubbed her through her panties. The girl shivered and let out a soft, breathy moan, one that caused a shiver to go through Junpei's body.

She tried to stay calm as the slightly older teen pulled them down, and moved his face between her legs. "Is this okay, Michiko?"

She nodded, running a hand through his hair with shaky fingers. "It's fine."

Junpei nodded and gave an experimental lick, and he was surprised when Michiko arched off the bed slightly. "Receptive, huh?" he murmured.

Michiko's face went red and she took a deep breath. "I've never done anything like this before."

"I've only done it a couple times," he replied. "Just relax." He kept his eyes on hers as he gave another long stroke of the tongue.

She shivered. "Don't look at me."

Junpei smiled. "I'll pull the blanket over if you want."

"Um… if you don't mind."

"It's fine," he replied. He grabbed the sheets and pulled them over his head, as well as her waist.

Breathing heavily, Michiko gripped the blanket, trying to remain calm. Junpei obviously had done this before, but she was so inexperienced. He was seventeen, after all. And she was going on sixteen in two months. She was so much… less mature.

How many people had Junpei done this with, and who? How far had he went? Was he still a virgin? She was! And suddenly, Michiko felt very small.

But the feelings went away immediately once Junpei went back to work

**

* * *

**

"So, Atsuko," Kouji muttered, staring at the girl. "You're friends with my brother."

The girl smiled slightly and set the coffee in front of Kouji. "Uh-huh."

"What exactly are your intentions with him?"

Atusko's eyes widened and her cheeks went slightly red. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, you know exactly what I mean." Kouji stared hard at her. "Normally, I at least know a few things about the girls my brother has his eye on, but you're a mystery. You're never out at parties, but you always come to the dances. Also, you're one of the best lacrosse players in Shibuya, an amazing cheerleader, and one of the most popular girls in our school, but I really don't see you outside of school."

The brunette stared at him for several moments before she slid into the seat across from him. "Are you trying to psychoanalyze me, Kouji?"

"I just want to figure out exactly _who _you are."

"I've been working more hours than usual," she said softly. "I'm working two jobs. I… I don't want to bother my parents with money for college, so I've taken it upon myself to pay for it myself."

"Hn." Kouji nodded. "That's it?"

Atsuko looked sheepish, but she nodded. "Yes. That's it."

"You're a good match with my brother," Kouji said bluntly. "And I hope you know that he likes you."

She smiled brightly. "Really?"

"Really." Kouji looked to the window. "Now get out of here. I've got a date."

"With who?" Atsuko asked.

"Orimoto Izumi," he replied. "Well, it's not technically a date, because it's just… Wait, why am I telling you this?"

Atsuko laughed. "Okay! It was nice talking to you Minamoto Kouji!"

He nodded. "Yeah."

The girl skipped off to the counter, back to work. Kouji stared as she went away. Why was it so easy to talk to her?

**

* * *

**

"Welcome home!" Saburo exclaimed as Naoki and Aya walked through the door. "Takishita Naoki and Takishita Aya!"

"Thanks," Naoki murmured, smiling at his younger brother and ruffling his hair. He moved and patted Keiko lightly on the cheek. "Hey, Keiko." He paused when he got to Keiji, not really knowing what to do. "Keiji."

Keiji sighed softly and walked off.

Naoki just blinked, flinching slightly when Aya rested a hand on his shoulder. "Baby…"

"It's fine." He smiled at the younger siblings. "We're going to go unpack now. We'll see you around, alright?"

"Okay," the two said, forcing smiles onto their faces. The newly married couple headed up the stairs, and slowly, frowns formed on their faces.

"God, Keiji can be such a dick at times," Keiko said.

"I know," Saburo replied. "What do we do?"

Keiko shrugged. "I don't know. If he wants to be a bitch, he can."

"I'm not a bitch," Keiji grumbled, coming around a corner. "I'm a bastard."

"You're both!" Saburo pointed accusingly at his older brother. "Why the hell did you pull that shit, huh? Why do you have to be like that?"

"He _left _us here!" Keiji snapped. "He _abandoned _us here while he got married to a woman we don't even know and he didn't even invite us to his wedding!"

Keiko and Saburo were silent. This was the first time Keiji had been so vulnerable since their parents died. "God damn it!" the darker haired Takishita yelled. "He left us just like dad left us, don't you under_stand_? We were all he had! I'm his fucking brother!" He threw a vase across the room and it shattered loudly against a wall. "Don't you see?"

Naoki and Aya ran down the stairs, the latter looking terrified, the former shocked.

"What the hell-"

"I'm out of here." Keiji grabbed his keys from the bowl in the foyer and he headed to the front door.

"Keiji, wait!" Naoki ran over and grabbed his arm. "Talk to me."

"Fuck _off, _Naoki!" Keiji ripped his hand away. "Just fucking leave me alone!"

He walked out and slammed the door behind him. But to Keiji's dismay, his three siblings did notice the tears in his eyes.

**

* * *

**

Ayaka blinked in surprise when she heard hard pounding at her door. With a puzzled expression on her face, she walked to it and opened it, shocked to find Keiji on the other side, looking upset for some reason. "Keiji? What's wrong?"

"I…" He shook his head and took a deep breath. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Keiji, what's the matter?" She took his hand and pulled him into her apartment, shutting the door behind him. "Naoki came back today, right?"

Keiji nodded and allowed the girl to pull him down next to her on the couch. "That's the problem." He sighed shakily. "I just can't do this anymore. Nobody understands… When mom and dad died, I was all he had." He looked to the girl with aching eyes. "And now he's pushing me away."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, moving her hand over and taking his. "I can see that you're really hurting right now."

"I'm not good with talking about the way I feel," he murmured. "And I know that I don't act like I care or like I don't have feelings, but I do. A-And Naoki's _hurting _me."

"Keiji…" Ayaka pressed a hand to his cheek. "You're crying."

The man blinked and put a finger under his eye, shocked at the wetness on it. "Shit." More tears kept dripping out, and he didn't know how to stop them. He hadn't cried in six years.

Weird gasping sounds were coming from him, and he was on the verge of freaking out and leaving again, but Ayaka wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. He instinctively pressed his face into her neck, unable to stop the flow of tears.

"This family is so fucked up," he breathed, sniffling weakly. "I want to tell you now, Ayaka. I want… I need to tell you the truth about the Takishita family." He breathed in deeply. "I had a sister, and her name was Ayame. She died when I was twelve. And my father was an abusive alcoholic."

**

* * *

**

"How was your trip?" Kouji asked as he sat on Izumi's bed. The girl was busy unpacking her bags and she invited Kouji over to hand out while she did so.

"It was fine," she replied, smiling as she pushed a drawer closed. "What did you do while I was gone? Did I miss anything?"

_~Well, I flipped the shit and ran off.~_

"No, nothing much," Kouji muttered. He took a deep breath. "I…" He grated out the next two words. "_Missed you_."

Izumi turned, smiling brightly. "Really?"

Kouji nodded, his eye twitching. "Really."

"That's really sweet, Kouji!" Izumi walked over and pressed a kiss to Kouji's cheek. "Thanks."

Kouji grumbled, happy, of course, because Izumi gave him a kiss, but a little disgruntled since it was just a brother-sister sort of kiss.

"Has Keiko said anything about me since I was gone?"

Kouji sighed. Stupid Keiko. "Nope."

"Have you hung out with her?"

"Once. She didn't say anything about you." _~Well, I would exactly call it hanging out. She kind of found me, I guess.~_

"Oh." Izumi sighed. "Do you think she's still mad at me?"

"I doubt it." Kouji laid back on the bed. "She didn't seem mad at all when I talked to her."

"Oh, good. Maybe I'll be able to talk to her on Monday."

"Yeah." Now he was just plain grumpy. Looks like he wasn't going to be telling Izumi how he felt.

**

* * *

**

"Wow…" Ayaka said softly, staring at her boyfriend. "I… I had no idea. About any of this."

"I know. Not many people know the truth about the Takishita family. We're not really the perfect family we seem to be to other people."

"How many people know about all of this?"

"I'm not sure how much Keiko would tell anybody. I know she didn't tell anybody about Ayame, because that really fucked her up… And I don't think she told anybody about our parents, except for the fact that they're dead. Naoki probably told Aya everything, and Saburo told Akira about Ayame, but probably nothing else."

"I never could have imagined… You all act so normal."

"We're normal people," Keiji muttered. "But we've all got fucked up pasts, you know?"

"Yeah… I always thought you went to the drugs because of their deaths, but… it's deeper than I thought it could've been."

"Yeah, I know." Keiji sighed. "You won't tell anyone, right?"

"Of course not!" Ayaka put her hands against Keiji's cheeks, looking right into his eyes. "I would never."

"The paparazzi would die if they heard about all of this. We're not in the spotlight very often."

"I won't tell anybody. Even if they offer me a million dollars."

"Well, obviously. I would offer you so much more than that. Two million."

The two laughed and Keiji pushed Ayaka into the couch, wrapping his arms around her. "You wouldn't mind if I spent the night?"

"Nope, not at all," Ayaka replied. "But you have to rub my feet and bring me out to dinner."

"Bitch," Keiji said, smirking at her. "I need to rub your dirty, smelly feet and take you out to dinner, when I'm already going to give you sex?"

Ayaka laughed. "Fine! You don't have to rub my feet. But I expect dinner!"

"Deal."

**

* * *

**

"Thanks for bringing me to get dinner," Keiko said, smiling at Saburo.

"Even if it's only a quick ramen and udon place?"

Keiko nodded. "It's fine. I'm just glad to get out of there."

"I know what you mean," Saburo said, sighing. "I just hope we don't have another household war, like we did a couple years ago, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Keiji and Naoki can have pretty nasty fights." Keiko sighed. "Are you all done?"

"Yeah, ready to go home?"

Keiko nodded and stood up, dropping eight hundred dollar bills on the table. "I'm so tired."

"Me too." Saburo wrapped his arm around Keiko's shoulder and led her out of the restaurant. He opened the door to his Lamborghini for her, then he got into the other side, starting the car and pulling out.

"Hey, Saburo?"

"Yeah?"

"Who tops more, you or Akira?"

Saburo screeched and pulled up completely straight. "What kind of question is that, Keiko?"

"I was just curious. Izumi thinks that Akira tops, but I think that it goes both ways."

"We take turns," he muttered.

"I was right!" Keiko smiled triumphantly.

"You're sick."

**

* * *

**

"Atsuko told me that you were talking to her at her work," Kouichi said, looking at Kouji. "What did you say?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Kouji looked surprised. "We just talked about school and stuff, I guess."

"Nothing else?" Kouichi asked.

"I just wanted to get to know the girl that my brother is falling madly in love with," Kouji replied, smirking.

"I'm not falling madly in love with anybody," Kouichi said, fighting the blush on his cheeks. "We're just friends." He grabbed his North Face fleece and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going? Hanging out with Atsuko?" Kouji called, smiling widely.

"Actually, Keiko and I are going to go see a movie."

"Riiiight."

Kouichi slapped a hand to his forehead. "I'm serious. We're just friends."

"Of course you are." Kouji waved him out. "Now go on, get out of here."

Kouichi glared half-heartedly at his brother before he walked out the door.

**

* * *

**

"Hey, Kouji!" Keiko cried desperately, running through the hall to catch the boy before he walked away.

"Hn? What's up?"

She was panting heavily and she rested her hands on her knees. "Aren't you supposed to be an athlete?" Kouji asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Shut up, I had to run all the way across the school, in a _skirt,_ to get you before you heard this from somebody else."

Kouji blinked. "Heard what from somebody else?"

"Did… Did you have sex with Natsumi?"

Kouji narrowed his eyes. "Who's asking?"

"Nobody's _asking, _Kouji. Everybody knows. And it's going around the school that…" She stopped.

"Keiko, what is it?" He put his hands firmly on her shoulders.

Keiko's face went slightly red. "It's going around the school that you came within the first thirty seconds."

Kouji was completely silent as he lowered his hands. "You're kidding me. You're fucking kidding me. You have to be."

Keiko shook her head. "I wish I was. But I'm not. I've heard it from tons of people all through the school. I wanted to tell you before people got to you. And I don't actually care if it's true or not. But maybe you should do some damage control."

"Yeah…" Kouji sighed. "Thanks for telling me, I guess."

"You're welcome." Keiko pushed a hand through her hair. "Maybe you should just go home for the day and come back tomorrow or something. Because no matter how popular you are, people are really going to go after you."

"No. I'll stay." Kouji shrugged. "I would have to deal with it eventually anyways, and there's no point in putting it off for tomorrow."

"I'll walk you to your next class if you want," Keiko offered. "It's always easier to go through these things with a friend."

"It's fine," Kouji muttered. "I meet Izumi right down this hall, so it's fine."

"Oh, okay," Keiko said, looking a bit put out. "I'll see you in lunch then."

"Later." Kouji watched the girl walk off, his eyes moving down to her hips. _~Shit. Since when did she have those?~ _She didn't have the stick-like figure that she had months ago. Now she actually had breasts and a nice curve to her hips. _~Damn, Keiko. I never would have thought.~ _He smiled to himself. _~Not like Izumi, though.~_

Kouji took a deep breath and headed down the hallway, where he would meet Izumi, and where he would have to face the other students.

**

* * *

**

Well, that's the first cliffhanger I've done for a while. :D Please review and have a nice day!


	5. Walk This Way

Yeah, I know I'm late. A lot of real life drama going on. Sorry about that. As an 'I'm sorry' gift, I'll let Kouji answer all of your reviews!

**Review replies for chapter 4:**

**Celestial Writer: **Pfft. I won't get into that much chaos. Ahem, right? And I'm NOT liking Keiko. I love… Er, never mind. Thanks for the review, and don't hate this chapter, I guess.

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Izumi shit? She's way better than Keiko, you bitch. Yeah, yeah, Junpei and Michiko are okay and whatever. Yeah, I miss Takuya too. A lot. Well we still don't like each other that much. I hate Natsumi too. And I'm not a baby. Thanks for the review, and hope you don't hate this chapter or whatever.

**ThankfulMemories: **Yeah, poor me. Stupid Natsumi. *Grins* Yeahh, I am pretty cool, huh? A rock. Yeah, I like that. You're not half bad, kid. Thanks for the review. Hope you like this one. Where I kick some ass. Because I'm a fucking rock.

**D4RKWR173R5: **Poor Keiko. She doesn't even know. And I can't tell her. The authoress was really happy when you said that. She was grinning like an idiot. Thank you for the review, and I hope you don't hate this one or anything.

**Jennison Silverye: **Yeah, well with Takuya gone… We still compete, trust me. And I'm sure Natalie will bring it up again later. Yeah, poor Keiko. Maybe Tamotsu'll come around. Natsumi's the girl I lost my virginity to, to be frank with you. Well, thanks for the review, and I hope you don't hate this one or whatever.

**Empyrea: **In a different light? Eh, I guess I just noticed her hips. And I feel kind of bad for Keiko. Maybe Tamotsu will figure it out. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter, or something.

**Caliboy: **Yeah, Keiko has a fucked up family. Yeah, I know. I can't stand Natsumi for what she did. Well, to be honest, maybe Izumi is a little bit more important to me right now. But Keiko's still a good friend. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this one, or whatever.

Thanks Kouji! Before we start, I'd like to thank Sydney for being such an amazing friend. :D Seriously. I love you, doll.

**

* * *

**

**Warning: Sexual themes in the middle of the chapter (Moderate/Graphic)**

**

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**

"Kouji," Izumi said softly, the moment he came over. She looked sympathetic. And he knew exactly why. "Did you hear?"

"Keiko told me everything."

Izumi nodded and she intertwined her fingers with his. "You want to skip next class?"

"No. Let's just go. I'm not going to be a coward," he replied. "You don't have to come with me. I'll just go alo-"

"Of course I'm going with you!" Izumi pulled her hand away and started towards the stairs. "Come on!"

Kouji smiled slightly and followed the girl, climbing the stairs, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Hey, Minamoto! Heard about that little incident with Natsumi! Better luck next time!"

"Way to go, Kouji! You finally lost it!"

"Watch out everybody! He might just lose control right now!"

Kouji just kept walking, Izumi close by his side. The blonde seemed more bothered than he was. She was carrying her books close to her chest and staring down at the floor.

"Hey! Maybe you'll do better once you bang Izumi!"

Suddenly, the teen who had said that was smashed against a locker, Kouji's hands around his neck. "What did you just say?!?" he snapped, his eyes wide. It was fine to make fun of him, but bringing Izumi into it…

"Kouji, don't!" Izumi cried, looking terrified.

"What're you gonna do, Minamoto?" the teen, Hotaka, snarled, pushing his arms away. He poked him hard in the chest. "You're all talk."

Kouji slammed his fist into his jaw, and Hotaka immediately countered with a punch to the gut. Soon enough, a fight had broken out in the middle of the hallway.

The two were pretty evenly matched. Kouji of course was on the lacrosse team, and Hotaka was a track runner. They were both about the same height, and they had the same build.

Within the next couple of minutes, Hotaka had a bloody nose and a fat lip, and Kouji had a black eye as well as a swelled cheek.

Just as Kouji pulled his arm back for the next punch, he felt himself getting dragged back. "Chill out, man!"

Kouji saw the teen pulling him back and he growled, struggling valiantly. "Let me go, Tamotsu!"

"It's all over, Kouji," he said quietly, his usual joking demeanor completely gone. His face was totally set in stone, something that only Michiko had seen. "Come on. This isn't helping anything, dude."

Kouji clenched a fist but he stopped trying to break out of his grip.

"Well, I'm not done yet!" Hotaka had his fist pulled back, ready to swing at Kouji's face. Tamotsu huffed, pushed Kouji away and slammed his own fist into Hotaka's face, causing him to fall to the ground, completely out cold.

"Let's get out of here before the teachers see us," Tamotsu said. "I'll have my brother pick us up somewhere."

Kouji nodded and looked over to Izumi, who was staring with wide green eyes. "Izumi," he said gently. "Come on."

The blonde slowly walked over and Kouji put his arm out for her, wrapping it around her shoulders and leading her down the hallway with Tamotsu.

**

* * *

**

"Well, the swelling in your cheek should be going down soon," Matsui, Tamotsu's eighteen year old brother, said, handing Kouji an icepack. "But you'll have the black eye for at least a week. Good luck explaining that to your parents."

Kouji rolled his eyes. "I'll just tell them what happened."

"Right." Matsui looked over to his younger brother, who was sitting on the couch next to Izumi. "Now, what exactly happened again?"

"Well, I just kind of saw Kouji and Hotaka beating the hell out of each other, so I pulled Kouji away, and Hotaka was trying to swing at Kouji again, so I punched him out."

"Out cold?"

Tamotsu nodded. "Yeah. Well, he was asking for it."

"'Atta boy!" Matsui ruffled Tamotsu's sandy blonde hair, grinning at him. Kouji and Izumi could tell that Matsui was pretty fond of his little brother.

Tamotsu grinned back but then jumped when his phone vibrated in his pocket. "Oh, hang on…" He looked at his phone. "It's Keiko!" He flipped it open and pressed it to his ear. "Hey baby-boo! …No, everything's fine! …Oh, you heard about that? …Haha, yeah! I punched that sucker hard! …Thanks, cutie! I've been working on my hook… Hmmm. A massage? Where'd you get that idea?" He blanched suddenly. "Ew! Michiko and Junpei? Bad images! …Sure, a massage would be lovely… Okay… Okay, I'll see you then, cutie-booty. …Alright! …Bye!"

Matsui sighed. "Young love."

Tamotsu's face turned red, something that was quite rare. "Shut up."

**

* * *

**

"Kouji!" Kouichi asked, his eyes wide. "Your eye!" He grabbed his chin and turned his head towards him. "And your cheek is swollen…"

Kouji sighed and looked down to the ground. "You probably heard, right?"

"Everybody's been talking," Kouichi informed Kouji gently. "Are you okay?"

"I was just trying to defend Izumi."

"I know…" Kouichi hesitantly wrapped an arm around his brother, feeling happy when Kouji didn't move away.

Kouji sighed softly, leaning into Kouichi and shutting his eyes. The only people he would accept hugs from were his mother, Kouichi, Izumi and Takuya, who wasn't even around anymore. "Do you want to watch a movie or something tonight?"

Kouichi froze. He had already made plans with Atsuko. "I'm sorry. I promised Atsuko I'd hang out with her today."

Kouji rolled his eyes. "Of course."

The older twin pulled away, staring at his brother. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're _always _with Atsuko."

"Well, you're always with Izumi," Kouichi shot back, to Kouji's shock. "I've asked you a ton of times to hang out with me, but every time, you say no. So don't get pissed off at me when you actually ask for once and I _can't!_"

Kouji stared with wide eyes as Kouichi stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut. "Shit…"

**

* * *

**

Keiko wasn't exactly sure how she had worked up the nerve to do this, but she had. First, she had made sure Saburo wouldn't come up to her room and bother her. She explained to him what was going to happen, and he grinned and said that the brunette had a few hours, because Naoki and Keiji were going to be working late anyway.

So, the slender teen brought an extra change of sheets from her bathroom and switched them on her bed, just because she was going to be using massage oil. In the back of her mind, she felt a little bit guilty for stealing Michiko and Junpei's idea, but then again, she had never really pampered Tamotsu, unless you could count handjobs and blowjobs.

When Tamotsu walked into the room, Keiko had candles lit all around the room and was wearing a pair of soft cotton shorts and a t-shirt.

The blonde smiled lightly. "Wow. You really meant business."

Keiko smiled back and nodded. "You're always doing nice things to me and cuddling me and everything… So I wanted to make it up to you."

"That's sweet," Tamotsu said, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips.

"Go lay on your stomach on the bed. Take your shirt off." Her eyes trailed down to the belt to his jeans. "And take these off. Boxers only should be okay, right?"

"Damn it, Keiko. I'm wearing my thong."

The two began to laugh as Tamotsu peeled his shirt off, then stepped out of his jeans, revealing perfectly toned legs. Keiko smiled, not blushing for once. _~He's all mine…~_

Tamotsu laid down on his stomach, shifting into a comfortable position. "Ready baby?"

"Ready," she replied, climbing onto the bed.

She put oil on her hands and began at his feet, working her thumbs and fingers into the heels and soles. The brunette was twisting her thumbs in a way that had him melting into the sheets.

Tamotsu was in heaven. He was groaning softly with every movement of her hands, arching slightly into the mattress. A louder groan when her hands moved up to his calves. "Oh God, Keiko."

"You like that?"

"Yeah, baby."

She worked on his calf muscles for ten minutes, turning him into a puddle of goo. The stroking and circular motions she was making with her strong, yet gentle fingers were enough to have him making soft moans into the pillow.

Her hands worked up to his thighs and lightly skimmed over the silky texture of boxers. She put her fingers in the waistband and pulled lightly. "Is this okay?"

He nodded.

Slowly she pulled them down and then tossed them over the side of her bed. With a blush on her cheeks and a throb between her legs, she moved her hands around to the front of his hips and began massaging his hip flexors.

He groaned loudly into the pillows and moved into the touch, the feeling of her touch driving him absolutely wild. His manhood was throbbing painfully against the blankets, but he had no intention of relieving himself. No, he just wanted to keep getting massaged forever.

Slowly and hesitantly, her hands moved down to his backside and she dug the heels of her hands into the muscles there. Surprisingly, that area was an extremely abused area on most people, because it was used quite a bit. Taking a deep breath, she used the heels of her hands again and ran them up and down the soft, yet firm backside.

Keiko didn't want anybody to know this, but she seriously adored Tamotsu's butt. Ever since she had seen him in the locker room that day, it had been her favorite part of his body, along with his arms.

Quickly, she grabbed the bottle of massage oil and squirted it onto her hands again, rubbing it in and going back to work. She squeezed lightly then pressed down, moving her hands in circles and pushing down. She jumped when she heard a choked cry come from the pillow covering Tamotsu's face, and her face went beet red when he slowly rubbed against the mattress.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline go through her, she moved her hands down a little bit more and massaged the area right where thighs and ass met. Tamotsu cried out again and arched into the sheets. "Oh God!"

Keiko pushed his legs apart and moved her hands between his thighs, fondling his sac with light, nimble movements while her other hand continued it's massage.

"Oh, Keiko, please."

_~He's begging. I'm doing this to him.~_

"Raise your hips baby," she said in a voice quite unlike her own.

Tamotsu raised himself up to his knees, his erection pressed up against his belly. He looked down at her, his green eyes dark with lust. He'd never looked sexier. "Keiko."

Keiko pushed him over so that he was on his back and she moved over him, running her finger on the underside of his erection. "It's a good thing we have all this massage oil, huh?"

Tamotsu dropped his head down to the pillows, arching up. "Yeah."

For two minutes, Keiko gripped his shaft and moved her hand up and down, while the other massaged his balls in a kneading motion. Tamotsu was groaning, his eyes shut tightly and his legs dropped open even more.

Keiko opened her mouth to comment on how perfect and gorgeous he was, and how much she loved him, but she didn't. It still wasn't time yet.

Tamotsu gasped loudly and arched up, spurting all over his chest and groaning raggedly when some actually went high enough to hit his chin.

Keiko stared with wide aqua eyes, a slight flush, not from embarrassment, on her cheeks. Tamotsu wasn't actually spurting anymore, but he was still twitching sporadically.

After several moments of it, he finally stopped, turning his head into the pillow. "You okay?" Keiko asked softly.

His half-lidded eyes moved over to her and he nodded sluggishly. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Keiko smiled lightly and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his lips. "If you could just put some boxers on, you can go to sleep."

"Thanks," he murmured and she hopped off the bed and handed Tamotsu his boxers. "I'm gonna wash my hands and change the bed sheets. Lay on the couch for a few seconds."

Tamotsu slowly got off the bed and slipped into his boxers, walking to the couch and flopping down onto it. His heart was still pounding, and when the brunette came back into the room and began to change the sheets over and hand him a towel to wipe the evidence of his orgasm off of his chest. _~Do I love her?~_

"Okay. 's all set."

Tamotsu blinked and looked over at Keiko, who was sitting comfortably on top of her large bed. The blonde got up and walked over, laying on top of the sheets and wrapping his arms around Keiko and pressing a kiss to her lips. His hand snaked down to her hips and backside, where he squeezed lightly. "Let's see what we can do about you now, babe."

**

* * *

**

"Ready, Michiko?" Junpei asked, smiling happily at the auburn haired girl as she got into his car.

She nodded. "Ready."

The car pulled out and Tomoki jumped out of the bushes, getting onto his bike and riding as fast as he could to catch up to the couple.

"Shit!" the teen cried when his pant leg got tangled up in the pedals and he fell flat on his face. "Damn it!"

"Did you hear that?" Michiko asked, looking out the window. "I thought I just heard someone swearing."

Junpei shrugged. "I didn't hear it."

The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence as the two headed out to get lunch. When they arrived, they were both shocked out of their minds when Junpei was tackled to the ground by a dirty, bleeding teenager.

"Junpei!" Michiko cried, her eyes wide. The kid, who's face she couldn't recognize, was screeching loudly and beating at his chest.

She clenched her fist, her temper flaring. _~All I ever wanted was to have lunch with him. Everything we ever do is interrupted by something else! And now this little brat thinks he can just jump in and ruin my date?!?~_

"Damn it!" She reached down and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, shaking him roughly. "HEY! GET THE HELL OFF OF HIM YOU NEANDERATHAL! I'LL BEAT YOUR ASS!"

There was dead silence as both boys stared up at Michiko, who looked ready to breathe fire. It was Tomoki that had tackled him, Michiko realized. "IT WAS YOU?!"

Tomoki began stuttering. "Well, uh… I… I wanted to…"

"BRAT!" Michiko drop kicked Tomoki across the street and through a window. She looked down at Junpei, who was staring up at her with wide eyes. "What?"

"Damn," he said quietly. "That was so cool!"

Michiko grumbled. "Let's go."

**

* * *

**

"I think I'm going to get a job," Keiko said quietly, leaning against Keiji on the couch.

"And why is that?" he asked. "Do you want to buy something? You know that we can just get it for you-"

"I know. But I want to work," Keiko replied.

"You want to get away from the house, huh?"

Keiko shrugged. "I guess that wouldn't hurt, either."

Keiji pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "That's no problem."

The brunette sighed. "Yeah."

**

* * *

**

"I'm getting a job," Keiko said to Kouji the next day in school.

The raven stared up at her. "Why? Can't you get like, whatever you want whenever you want? Why do you want a job?"

Keiko shrugged. "I just do."

"You have soccer every day after school, though. How are you going to keep a steady job?"

"I can work on weekends. And after practice for a few hours."

Suddenly, an idea popped into Kouji's head. "Well, there's this maid café in the city that you could work at. They only hire cute young girls."

Keiko's cheeks turned pink. "You think I could get a job there?"

"Stuff your bra and you'll be all set."

The brunette's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "What?!"

Kouji pointed at her boobs. "They're not that bad. I guess. But you would think they'd only hire you if you're a C or above." He poked one of them. "And I'd peg you for about a 36A."

Keiko slapped his hand away. "I'm a 38A for your information! And I'm not going to stuff my bra just to get a job!"

Kouji sighed. "Your loss. But if you really wanted the job… Turn around."

Keiko blinked. "What?"

"Turn around."

The brunette slowly did as he said.

"Well. Your ass is good. You'll probably get the job. And you don't have chicken legs, or-"

Keiko spun around and smacked him on the top of the head with her books. "Fuck you, Kouji!"

"What? I was just trying to help."

"Well, you're embarrassing me."

Kouji sighed. "I'll walk with you to the café after school, alright? Will that make it up to you."

Keiko was quiet for a minute, before saying, "Okay. Meet me by the front?"

Kouji nodded and stood up. "Yeah, yeah."

"Thank you," she said, smiling lightly. "That's really nice of you."

_~Too bad I'm only doing this because I want to learn about Atsuko. Oh well. Keiko doesn't need to know about that, right?~_

"Whatever. Just don't be late."

**

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**

"Ready?" Kouji asked, looking over to Keiko, who had stopped completely in front of the café. "Keiko?"

"I'm scared," she said, staring into the window with wide aqua eyes.

Kouji rolled his eyes. "It'll be fine. Let's go."

"No," Keiko said, shaking her head. "I don't want a job anymore. I don't want-"

"Damn it, Keiko." Kouji grabbed her by the wrist and began pulling her inside, pushing the door open and dragging her in behind him.

"What's with the rush?" Keiko gasped, trying to regain her footing. "Kouji!"

Kouji pulled her to the counter, where a woman around thirty was standing, staring at the duo. "Can I help you?"

"She wants a job here," Kouji said, tugging on Keiko's arm.

The woman tilted her head to the side, running a hand through her red hair. "You're quite adorable. And you have nice legs. You've got the job."

Keiko gawked. "That's all there is to it?"

The woman nodded. "Come on. We'll take your sizes." She took Keiko by the hand and led her to the back, the brunette looking back nervously to Kouji, who waved half-heartedly to her.

**

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**

Ten minutes later, Keiko came back out, a bag of clothes in her hand and her face completely red. "Okay. All done."

Kouji stood up. "About time. Ready?"

Keiko nodded and the two headed out. The raven looked over at her. "You look mortified."

"They took every single measurement imaginable," she muttered. "I'm just glad it's over."

Kouji smirked. "Did they say anything about your tits?"

Keiko huffed. "No. They didn't. And not all guys like girls with huge boobs, Kouji."

"Yeah, you're right. Just most of them do."

Keiko didn't say anything. She just grumbled and kept walking next to the raven.

"You want to get some ice cream or something?"

Keiko glanced sidelong at the boy. "Wow. You're actually asking me to hang out with you?"

Kouji shrugged. "I guess."

She smiled. "Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere. We could always go back to that café."

Keiko blanched. "I'll pass."

A soft laugh. "Right."

**

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Well, this chapter was prompted by Sydney and Morgan. Lol, well, read and review! :D


	6. Kiss and Tell

**Review replies to chapter 5:**

**Jennison Silverye: **I'm glad you liked it! :D Yeah, Tamotsu's precious. (: Kouichi vs. Kouji is terrible. Dx And poor Tomoki! Michiko just doesn't understand. ): Kouji's a jerk. Totally. Lol. Thank you a bunch for your review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **Oh, Keiko. ): I know. Without Takuya, it's all falling apart! D: Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! (:

**Caliboy: **Hehe, I had fun with that one. (: Michiko's a beast. I love her so much. Lol. Thank you a ton for the review, and I hope you like this chapter. :D

**Anon: **Aww! D: Lol, anyways, thanks for your review, and I hope you like this chapter. :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **I'm glad you liked it. xD ME GUSTA TAMOTSU! And I'm glad you do too. (: OH. I forgot about the Mew Mew Café. xD Good shit. Lol. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **Ah, well I wouldn't really call it dead… Dx Tamotsu's the man. I love him so much. Lol. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter. :D

**ThankfulMemories: **Hehe. Kouji's so mean to Keiko! xD I know! Japan rocks! :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**_: **Oh, well thanks! :D Thank you for reviewing and I hope you like this! :D

**D4RKWR173R5: **Oh, that's fine. (: I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

_B/N: In case you all don't know, B/N is beta's note. XDD Haha, Natalie probably won't even read this until the chapter's uploaded. XDD Okay, so there's a forum topic I started on the forum: Digital Connections about the best and worst Frontier OCs. I'm just shamelessly using my friend's story to advertise it! :D So be sure to vote on it! Thanks guys! :D_

**

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**

"Thanks for letting me borrow these magazines, Keiko," Kouichi said gratefully. "It's pretty ironic that I got your brother for my famous person project, huh?"

"Yeah, it is," Keiko replied, smiling. "Um, if you want, I could ask Naoki to do an interview with you."

The taller teen grinned. "Are you serious? That's great!"

Keiko laughed softly and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Okay. When he gets home from work, I'll ask him."

"Thanks Keiko. I'll see you later. Thanks again for the magazines!"

Keiko waved and shut the door.

As soon as Kouichi got home, he began working on his project. Making sure he didn't mess up the pages of the pristine magazines, he opened the first one, which was _Time. _On the cover was a picture of Naoki, his hands in his pockets, looking completely calm and stoic.

He got to the part where it began to talk about the company and how it was founded. The title was 'Takishita Corp: The Minato Era'. Takishita Minato created Takishita Corp. several months after the bomb was dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He stated that the reason for the movie company was to try and take everybody's minds off the tragedy that happened. He was only in his thirty when he started the company, and his son took it over after he died at the age of 70. It showed several pictures of Minato, and pictures of him and his family. His wife, son and daughter.

On the side, it showed how the company's money chart on the side, and it never declined. In fact, within the first five years of the company's creation, it had already reached the two billion dollars mark.

Kouichi couldn't help but feel a little bit shock when it showed pictures of Keiko's father. These pages were titled 'The Yuuto Era' After all, he had never met the man, and had only heard some stories of him. It turned out that his name was Takishita Yuuto, and he was married at the young age of nineteen. Even more shockingly, he had Naoki when he was only twenty one. His wife, Haruka, was gorgeous. She had long, dark chesnut hair and light green eyes. She looked a lot like Saburo and Naoki.

Keiko and Keiji seemed to favor their father. Keiji had the same smile and eyes, and while still retaining her femininity, Keiko had the same nose and jaw, as well as the same hair color.

Apparently when Yuuto first took over the business, it was successful, but as time went on, it began slipping, and Kouichi was surprised to find that only eight years ago, the company was a hair away from being bankrupt. They only had two hundred thousand dollars left.

Kouichi felt his heart lurch when he saw that a family tragedy had hurt the business, and he didn't feel like it was any of his business to ask Keiko what had happened.

The article went on to talk about Yuuyo and Haruka's last months alive, before it showed pictures of family, and pictures of the plane crash, as well as their funeral.

The next several pages talked about Naoki, and how he took the company over at the young age of eighteen. 'The Naoki Era'. The company was in the dumps when Naoki took the reins. Somehow though, the young man managed to bring it back up, and he even surpassed his grandfather in the short period of one year. Pictures of Naoki through time were shown, starting from when he was just a baby, to the day he turned eighteen.

The article praised the amount of work he put into the company. He was already busy with taking care of his siblings, finishing college and balancing his own personal life and issues. Kouichi was a little bit surprised when it talked about Saburo's suicide attempt and Keiji's drug abuse. He felt extremely upset for some reason when it showed Keiko shopping at the grocery store alone, trying to reach for a box of noodles on a top shelf when she was only ten.

The next page showed a picture of Keiji and Naoki, both in business suits and back to back. 'The Naoki and Keiji Era'. The article concluded with Keiji joining the company and how he contributed. The numbers went even higher, and Kouichi's jaw dropped when he saw that the company was worth well over eight hundred billion dollars. The Takishitas were ranked as the second richest family on the planet, and Naoki and Keiji were the richest men on earth.

Kouichi blinked and shut the magazine, feeling completely overwhelmed by the fact that one of his close friends was wealthier than most countries.

"What's with the face?"

Kouichi looked up and cleared his throat as Kouji went to sit down next to him, looking over his shoulder. "You look like you just saw a ghost. Oh. You just saw a picture of Keiji. I understand."

Kouichi smiled. "I'm doing a paper on Naoki."

"Lucky. I got Shikibu Murasaki."

"She's great!"

"Yeah. She's great alright. You get a modern figure. Lucky."

"I guess I did kind of luck out."

"Well, why'd you look so surprised a second ago?"

"Did you know that Naoki and Keiji are the richest men on the planet?"

Kouji narrowed his eyes. "No way."

"Yes way. And did you know that Saburo tried to kill himself when he was only twelve? And that Keiji was addicted to drugs?"

"Yeah… I did know that. Don't tell anyone though."

"I wasn't going to. Wait, how'd you know?"

Kouji shrugged. "Keiko told me a while ago. I think it was at her birthday party or something. I don't really remember."

"That's sad." Kouichi shut the magazine. "And apparently she had more family tragedies besides her parents' deaths."

"That's weird." Kouji scratched at his temple. "You know what it is?"

"Nope." He opened his laptop and got onto the internet. "But I'm about to find out."

**

* * *

**

"My favorite holiday is Halloween. No doubt," Izumi said, standing in front of a mirror as she stared at her choice of costume. It was a brown wig and a school uniform.

"What kind of costume is that?" Keiko asked, coming from behind one of the other changing room curtains. She was dressed as Sailor Moon.

Izumi turned around and grinned. "You."

Keiko gawked and laughed softly. "Why would you want to go as me? Go as something more fun."

"I thought you and Tamotsu are going as corresponding… things."

"We are," Tamotsu said as he walked out from behind a different curtain. He was Tuxedo Mask. "But we don't look the parts in these, babe."

Keiko sighed. "Yeah, you're right." She tapped her chin for a moment before gasping. "I have a great idea! Be right back!" She flitted off farther into the shop while Tamotsu sighed and stared at himself.

"Well, I think you look nice, Tamotsu," Izumi offered, smiling.

"Thanks. This suit chafes my nipples though." Tamotsu began rubbing said body parts.

"Oh…" Izumi tried not to laugh as she went back into her changing area while Kouji came out of his own.

"Go as something else besides a vampire for once," Tamotsu said, glaring at the other boy. "And besides, I thought we were all going as characters!"

"We are," Kouji muttered. "I'm Alucard."

"Your brother should go as Alucard."

"Why?"

"Because he fucking _sounds _like Alucard. Duh!"

Kouji rolled his eyes. "No he doesn't."

Keiko came back over and tossed a costume at Tamotsu. "Here, put this on!"

"Keiko, doesn't Kouichi sound like Alucard?"

Keiko's eyes widened. "Yeah, he does!" She grinned. "He should go as Alucard!"

"I wanna go as Alucard!" Kouji cried, stomping back into his changing room.

"Go as Neji!" Keiko called back, causing her and Tamotsu to laugh.

Keiko stopped laughing when a clothes hanger came flying out of Kouji's room to hit her in the head. "Ow!"

Keiko rubbed her head miserably and went back into her room, Tamotsu going back to his as well.

Izumi and Kouichi stepped out next, grinning at each other.

"That's a really good Winry!" Kouichi exclaimed, smiling. "You look just like her!"

"Thanks!" Izumi adjusted the bandanna on her head. "I guess I kind of do, huh? I think I found my costume! And you make a really good Itachi!"

"Thanks. I can even do his voice, listen." He cleared his throat. "You're… too weak… Sasuke…"

"That's really good!" Izumi cried, grinning happily. "You actually do sound like a lot of characters from shows, huh?"

"I don't really think so…" Kouichi stared at his reflection. "Hey, you think I should get red contacts too?"

"That'd be sick!" Izumi grinned widely. "I'm gonna carry a wrench with me."

Kouichi laughed. "Cool. Yeah, I think I'm gonna get this one, then." He went back into his changing room.

Keiko stepped out, looking flustered, and at the same time, Tamotsu did.

"Guys. Definitely get these," Izumi said, her jaw dropping.

Tamotsu was dressed as Tidus from Final Fantasy, and Keiko was Yuna. That is, the Yuna from the second game. The Yuna wearing the shorts and boots.

"Maybe I'll be the kimono Yuna instead," Keiko said, scratching the back of her head and laughing half-heartedly. "I'm not sure about this one."

"Baby," Tamotsu said, walking over and grabbing her hand. "Dress as sexy Yuna. You work it."

"You really do," Izumi agreed, nodding. "Look, I'm going as Winry! And she's sexy!"

"I'm not really worried about the outfit," Keiko said. "It's the thought of my brothers seeing me in this. Not really Saburo, but I know Keiji would beat the hell out of Tamotsu."

"Yeah, I guess you're… Hey! Why would he beat me up?"

Kouji stepped out, and everyone immediately burst out laughing. "I'm not wearing it."

"Please wear it!" Izumi cried, trying to stifle her laughter. "Come on Kouji! You have to!"

Kouji glared at his reflection. He had changed into a Neji costume, only for Izumi. She had given it to him with a slight smile and Kouji couldn't help but try it on. And now look where that got him. He even tied his hair the way Neji had his hair tied.

"Fuck you all. I'm not wearing it."

"Please Kouji?" Keiko asked, clasping her hands together and making a puppy-dog face.

"No."

"Pleaseee?" Izumi pouted and hugged him. "Please."

"…No…"

"Please Kouji?" Tamotsu said, making the most adorable sad face that Kouji growled and walked back into the dressing room.

"Fine. I'll wear the damn outfit. But I'm going as Shippuden Neji. Bitches."

"Yay!"

**

* * *

**

"I'm so excited for Halloween," Michiko said happily, her arm linked with Junpei's as they walked down the streets of Shibuya. "You wanna dress up in tandem with me?"

Junpei frowned. "No. Not really."

Michiko furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her boyfriend. "Why not?"

He shrugged. "I'm not really into the Halloween thing."

"But it's the best holiday of the year…"

Junpei stopped walking and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "You can go out with people and trick or treat and whatever, but I'm not really up for it, alright?"

"But why?"

"I'm too old. I feel weird."

"Too old?" Michiko tilted her head to the side, looking confused. "What do you mean too old? We're a year apart."

Junpei sighed. "There's a difference between seventeen and sixteen, Michiko. You'll understand later."

"What do you mean, _later_? I have my permit, I have a job, you act like I'm twelve."

"You're acting like you're twelve right now," Junpei said, looking annoyed. "Just go without me."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"A friend of mine's having a Halloween party. You know Kotone."

Michiko lowered her eyes. "Your ex-girlfriend, Kotone?"

Junpei sighed. "All the juniors are going. It's not like I'm going just to get drunk and hook up with her."

"You are going to get drunk though," she said softly. _~I feel so insecure around him. I have so much less experience…~ _"Isn't that the same girl you had sex with?"

Junpei sighed. None of his friends knew about Kotone. In fact, Michiko was the only one who knew. He and Kotone had only dated for a couple of months, but a lot had happened in that time. "Yeah, it is."

Michiko blinked, avoiding his gaze. _~Why can't I just be enough for him?~_

"Michiko, look." Junpei took her chin in her hands and forced her to look up at him. "Kotone was over a year ago. The fact is that I had sex with her. Another fact is that you don't even compare to her. We just used each other for relief. She means nothing to me, even now. It just so happens that she's hosting a party. Nothing's going to happen, baby."

Michiko felt her cheeks flush and she nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll… try to remember. I'm sorry for being like this."

"Don't apologize. You have every right to be nervous. Now, come on. We'll be late for our reservations." He took her hand and the two walked down the street together.

Michiko looked sadly up at Junpei. _~Why can't he just come trick or treating?~_

**

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**

Kouichi knocked on Atsuko's door, nervously pushing a strand of hair back. A woman in her fifties answered, looking surprised. "Wow, a trick or treater so early? Honey, grab the candy!"

"Oh, no," Kouichi said. "I'm here to pick up Atsuko."

"Atsuko?" The woman looked confused. "I think you have the wrong house, dear. No Atsuko lives here. There's not even an Atsuko on this street."

"Oh." Kouichi blinked. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, sweetie." The woman smiled.

Kouichi waved and walked off the porch, absolutely confused. This was where they dropped her off only a couple days ago.

"Oh, Kouichi!"

The ravenette turned his head and was shocked to see Atsuko coming down the sidewalk, a bag in her hand. "You're early."

"Did I come to the wrong house?"

"Umm, no, why?"

Kouichi narrowed his eyes a little bit. "Because the woman said that there are no Atsukos on this street."

Atsuko's eyes widened and she looked around. "Wait, I'm on the wrong street!" She laughed. "I walked a couple blocks to see a friend, and I must've wound up on the wrong street. Good thing we both ended up here, right?"

Kouichi tilted his head to the side. "But we dropped you off here a couple weeks ago…"

"Oh, well there was construction on my street, so I just walked up to my house from here."

"Oh…" Kouichi blinked. "Alright then. Ready to go?"

Atsuko smiled and walked over to Kouichi. "Uh-huh!"

**

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**

"Wow, Keiko, your house is so huge. It's even bigger than it looks in the magazines! It's beautiful!"

Keiko smiled. "Thanks!"

"Did you get the costume, Atsuko?" Izumi asked.

The brunette nodded and pulled it out of the bag. "It cost me my paycheck, but I got it!" She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not sure it'll look good, but we'll see."

"It'll look fine, I'm sure!" Izumi said, grabbing her elbow and leading her into the bathroom. "I'll help you put it on! Come on!"

The two girls went upstairs and Keiko smiled at Kouichi. "You two look really adorable together," she said softly.

Kouichi smiled lightly. "You think so?"

Keiko nodded. "Yeah… It's really sweet. It's obvious that she likes you. I'm just glad that you invited her. She's so cute."

"Thanks, Keiko."

The two headed back to the basement where the others were. Michiko was sitting on the couch between Kouji and Tamotsu. The blonde and ravenette were grumbling things under their breath. Tomoki was sitting opposite them on the couch, staring blankly at Michiko.

"What happened?" Kouichi asked.

"Tamotsu thinks his costume's better than mine," Kouji huffed.

"And Kouji thinks his is better than mine," Tamotsu said right after.

"I bet I could get more candy that you, just because my outfit's so great!"

"I bet I could get way more! People totally like Tidus more than Neji!"

"Tidus is a bitch! He doesn't do shit!"

"And they call it the gentle fist for a reason, you jackass!"

Kouji clenched his fist and rolled up a sleeve. "I'll show you my gentle fist, bastard!"

"Bring it on, asshole! I could drop you like a bag of dirt!"

"Could both of you just shut your mouths for three seconds?" Tomoki suddenly yelled.

Everybody stared at the younger boy, who was fuming. "You two are so annoying, the way you compete. It's not like it matters which costume is better." Tomoki stood up. "I'm leaving. I can't even stand being around you guys anymore." He went to the stairs.

"Wait, Tomoki!" Keiko cried.

"Don't leave!" Tamotsu said, looking guilty. "We didn't mean to get you mad."

The younger brunette just kept going up the stairs, ignoring all protests. And then, the one voice he didn't want to hear called him. "Tomoki!"

He clenched his fist and kept going, picking up his pace. Michiko was trying to catch up to him. "Tomoki, please wait!"

Just as he got to the kitchen, his hand on the doorknob, Michiko grabbed his shoulder. "Tomoki, please don't leave."

"It's not like you would care," he said, turning and glaring at her. "I'm too young for people like you."

"That doesn't matter to me," Michiko said. "I love having you as a friend. And I'm so sorry about what happened with the whole Momoe thing."

"But of course you have to go right off and date Junpei don't you? Of all people, you go for Junpei. Why couldn't it just be Kouji, or Kouichi? No. You have to date Junpei."

"Tomoki, I'm sorry!" Her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what to say anymore! I just wish we could be friends!"

"Yeah?" Tomoki leaned down slightly and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Well-" He pulled away. "-I just wish we could just be the way we were before."

Michiko didn't stop him as he walked out the door.

"Did you catch him?"

Michiko turned around to see her best friend standing a few feet away from her. He looked slightly surprised. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "He still likes me. I think he might even love me…"

"Oh, Michiko…" Tamotsu opened his arms. "Come here."

Michiko took a deep breath, feeling her heart shattering with guilt as she walked into Tamotsu's chest, allowing him to wrap his arms around her trembling form.

And when Keiko came up five minutes later, she almost dropped dead when she saw the way he was pressing kisses to Michiko's forehead, the same way that he did to her.

**

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**

Trick or treating was an awkward affair for everybody. After Tomoki's outburst, things were pretty quiet. Kouichi and Atsuko were talking and giggling with each other, both of them blushing lightly. Keiko was staring at the ground miserably as she walked along somewhat in the middle of the group. Tamotsu was walking with Michiko, comforting her. They looked like the perfect couple, with his arm around her shoulders and the way he would talk softly to her.

Izumi was doing her best to keep everybody's spirits up, glancing every so often over at her brunette friend and promising herself that she would speak to her as soon as the night was over. Kouji was staring admiringly at the blonde, loving the way she would sway her hips in those light blue pants, and how perfectly and _infuriatingly_ that dark strip of cloth went across her chest. She was so _perfect._

After the trick or treating disaster, they all went back to Keiko's house to watch a few horror movies. Keiko ended up sitting on the couch with Michiko and Tamotsu. Michiko was in the middle, and Tamotsu was still coddling over her. Kouichi and Atsuko shared a love seat, while Kouji and Izumi shared one. The younger twin did his best not to explode with joy when the blonde leaned against him comfortable.

In the middle of the second movie, Keiko said that she wanted to change out of her costume, and she trekked upstairs, feeling completely put-out, because Halloween had always been _their _holiday. Just as she was about to peel her shirt off, the door opened and Izumi walked in, locking the door behind her.

"Keiko… Are you okay?"

The brunette shook her head, staring down at the ground. "I wore the damn costume, because I was pretty sure that Tamotsu and I were going _together, _but apparently not because he and Michiko have something together."

"What do you mean?" Izumi came forward and sat on the bed. "What happened, honey?"

Keiko took a deep breath and plopped down onto the bed next to Izumi. "I went out to the kitchen to see if Michiko and Tamotsu were okay, because they'd been gone for a really long time, but I opened the door quietly, in case something was up, and he was kissing her all over the forehead and stuff." Keiko gripped the sheets. "And he always does that to _me._" Her voice was strained. "I love him. So much. And… and I don't think he loves me back."

"No, that's not true," Izumi said comfortingly, putting her hands on Keiko's shoulders. "He must love you. I'm sure he's just afraid of saying it to you, because he's worried you won't say it back. Maybe you should tell him first, you know? And make sure you don't do it when you're fighting or you're overemotional or anything, then you can't really control what you say, you know?"

Keiko shook her head. "I can't. I know he won't say it back."

"Keiko, you don't know anything. You just need to tell him. Take control."

The brunette's eyes went dull. "I need to get changed now."

Izumi sighed. "Don't push me away. I want to help you."

The girl shook her head. "It's fine."

"Kei-"

"Please."

The blonde sighed and stood up, stroking Keiko's cheek once before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

**

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**

"Thanks for having us," Tamotsu said as the second movie ended. "I'm gonna give Michiko a ride home, though. I'll see you all in school."

Everybody chirped their goodbyes (everybody besides Keiko, of course) as Tamotsu and Michiko headed out of the room. The brunette looked up to her boyfriend for any sort of affection, but the blonde just patted her head as he walked past.

Keiko sat on the couch alone for the rest of the night. Even after her friends left, she stayed there.

**

* * *

**

"How was your party?" Michiko asked the next time she and Junpei had time alone.

"It was fine," he replied. "How was trick or treating?"

"I… wanted to talk to you about that," Michiko said softly. "Um…"

"Did something happen?" Junpei asked, looking concerned. "You look really upset."

Michiko took a deep breath. "Tomoki… He kissed me."

**

* * *

**

"Can we talk?"

Keiko turned and looked at Tamotsu, who looked concerned. "Um, yeah," the brunette said, standing up and following him out of the café. Izumi gave Keiko a look, and the latter gave her a nervous look back.

As soon as the two were out in the street, Tamotsu turned around and looked at her with sad green eyes. "Keiko… Is something wrong?"

Keiko looked down to the ground. "I…"

"Please talk to me," he said softly. "I just want to help." He leaned down, ready to press a kiss to her forehead.

_~No!~ _Keiko grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away. "Don't do this to me. Please."

"Baby?" Tamotsu looked devastated. "What's-"

"Stop!" she yelled, and a couple of pedestrians turned and looked at the two. "I wore the stupid costume, because we were supposed to be together for Halloween! And then you _kissed _Michiko the same way you do to me!"

"Keiko, Michiko's my best friend," he said. "I've been kissing her forehead much longer than I've been kissing your-"

"I spent Halloween alone, and wishing that you would just look at me for one second." Keiko pressed a hand to her forehead, taking a deep breath. "Damn it." She felt dizzy suddenly, and she backed up against the wall. "I can't ever be enough for you."

"What are you talking about?" Tamotsu grabbed her shoulders. "You're enough. You just don't..." He sighed and stared at her right in the eyes. "Maybe we should end this."

Keiko's eyes widened. "What?"

He shook his head and pulled his hands off of her shoulders. "_This_." He pointed at the two of them. "Maybe we shouldn't do this anymore."

Keiko shoved him. "Fuck you! You just don't get it, Tamotsu!"

"I try to understand!" he snapped back. "I try to talk to you about this shit all the time, but you don't let me in! I'm fucking tired of trying so hard, Keiko!"

"Shut up! I'm trying hard too!"

"No." Tamotsu shook his head, laughing dryly. "You're not."

To her horror, Keiko felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Fine. If you don't want this, I don't either." She took off down the street, and Tamotsu felt his heart clench.

He shuffled back into the café and took his seat. Izumi's eyes widened. "Where's Keiko? What happened?"

Tamotsu ran a hand through his hair. "I think I made her cry."

"What?" Izumi cried. "What happened, Tamotsu?"

"I'm pretty sure we just broke up."

**

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**

Ummm. Don't kill me? *Runs*


	7. Too Close

Ahem, hello friends! :D Here's the next super awesome chapter of Here's to the Night!

But before I start, concerning the poll: I was looking over the results, and I realized that somebody picked the choice about the other idea, in which you would PM me, but I never got one… So whoever picked that choice, if you could send me a PM that would be great. xD Thanks!

**Review replies to chapter 6:**

**Caliboy: **You're welcome. I die when I write parts about the voices. It kills me that Kouichi's Alucard and Itachi. xD D'aww. I love Michiko and Junpei together! Boohoo. AH! Tamotsu's my baby! He's my favorite character, lol. (: Hopefully there'll still be messages of Takuya around. Thanks so much. And I'll be able to follow the seven day review rule once my final exams are over. I'm out of school on the ninth, and then there's two weeks of exams so… Thanks for the review and I hope you like the next chapter!

**ThankfulMemories: **LOL, Kouji as Neji is so funny! And I think Izumi actually makes a good Winry. Lol. Hehe, Winry and Ed make such a cute couple! :D I've only seen a couple episodes, but it's really adorable. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Celestial Writer:** AH KNOW! xD Oh, Junpei no happy. And Tamotsu and Keiko are such a great couple. ): Ooooh, Atsuko is pretty suspicious. Dun dun DUUUUNNNN! Lol, that's the perfect way to describe Kouji's love for Izumi. xD Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter as well!

**Jennison Silverye: **Lol, the Takishitas are LOADED. Poor Kouji, he has to be the Steve Staleys. xD I know! Junpei's a jerk-butt. :P Hmmm. Atsuko's a strange bird, isn't she? Maybe we'll find some more out this chapter! The relationship thing IS pretty complex… Oh dear. And don't give up hope! Thank you so much for the review, and I really hope you like this next chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **You're a bitch. Atsuko went as your mom. Allison. Shanks. I liked doing the family history. I think it needed to be done eventually soooo. (: Thanks for the review, partner, and you're a total psycho. :D

**Empyrea: **Aww. *Cries* Yeah, Junpei's a jumpin jerk. Heh. He's pretty pissed I can imagine. I would be! Ironic that you wished for some action, my friend. (: Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter!

**D4RKWR173R5: **Lol, that's fine! Everyone's entitled to their own opinions. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**LoveCherrySnow: **Wow, I'm glad you liked it so much! :D Keiko and Tamotsu are a damn good couple. ): Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Warning: Unbetaed chapter! Because I wanted to let Sydney have a day off. :D**

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**

"Tomoki!" Junpei yelled as he tromped up to the younger brunette. He was walking with two friends in the park. "We need to talk."

Tomoki narrowed his eyes. "Alright. See you guys." He waved to his friends and headed over to Junpei. "Hey, what's-"

"Don't fucking talk to me like everything's okay," Junpei snapped. "What's your problem?"

"What do you mean, what's my problem?" Tomoki asked, looking puzzled. "I haven't done anything to you."

"Yeah you did! You kissed Michiko."

Tomoki shrugged. "So?"

**

* * *

**

"Keiko, wait up!"

The brunette turned around and blinked, surprised that Kouji was trying to catch up to her. "Kouji?"

"You okay?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

Keiko bit her lip and looked to the ground. "I…"

"Right, dumb question. Come on. I'll walk you home."

"You don't have to-"

"It's fine. Come on."

Keiko nodded and complied, walking next to Kouji down the street. He kept glancing at her, but every time he would look, her eyes would be glued in front of her.

Kouji sighed softly. "Look, I know that I'm not the relationship expert, but I think you two should try to talk about this. Even if you don't work it out, at least you'll have tried, you know? I don't think you should go and throw this all away, because-"

_"Mini-Keiko," Tamotsu muttered before smiling. "You were really cute when you were a kid, by the way."_

_Keiko smiled. "Thanks."_

_Tamotsu rolled over so he was on top of her. He pressed their lips together. "But I think you're even cuter now." He smiled when her face went red and she began to stutter something. "I like cute girls," he said. "I mean, I'm not a fan of girls that have too much sex appeal. I like **you**. You're beautiful, sexy in a subtle way… Adorable."_

"-And yeah, he may sometimes be kind of an air head and he does sort of hug everybody to death, even if he doesn't know them, but he really cares… You know what I mean?"

Keiko blinked, not having heard half of his speech. "Um, yeah. I get it."

"I hope what I said helped," Kouji muttered. "Even though I'm not the biggest fan of Tamotsu, he treats you well, and I think that that's the only thing that should matter."

Keiko's eyes softened when she looked at the raven. "Kouji…"

"I'm not a complete prick," the teen added. "I know when my friend's happy."

Keiko took his hand quickly and gave it a squeeze, feeling overjoyed when he squeezed back. She let go and even though her heart felt cold, her hand was warm.

**

* * *

**

"What _happened_?" Michiko asked as she walked down the sidewalk with her best friend. "Why did you two break up? Please talk to me. And don't lie, or I'll rip your balls off."

Usually with the talk of balls, Tamotsu would at least crack a smile, but his face remained completely solemn. "She hasn't been herself. And the way she's been acting isn't cool. She's upset that I spent my Halloween with you and not her."

Michiko tilted her head to the side. "Really? You broke up because of that?"

"She was being selfish." Tamotsu crossed his arms over his chest.

"She did wear the costume," Michiko pointed out. "Well, think of it this way. What if you were planning on an amazing night with Keiko, and something bad happened to Izumi, so she pretty much ignored you? How would you feel?"

"It wouldn't bother me," Tamotsu said. "Because best friends are more important than girlfriends and boyfriends."

Michiko sighed softly. "I can understand where you're both coming from. But maybe you two should just talk about it."

"Yeah. I guess you're right," Tamotsu said.

"Of course I am! Now, go find your girl and make some sweet love! I've gotta meet Junpei today."

"Can I just go with you? I really… I just need a few minutes to think."

"Sure."

**

* * *

**

"So?" Junpei clenched a fist. "What do you mean, _so_? Don't you get it? You _kissed _my _girlfriend_!"

"Well, I think I deserved it." He narrowed his eyes. "Don't _you _get it?"

"What the fuck are you trying to say?"

"You knew I liked her!" he yelled, suddenly angry. "You knew that I loved her! And you didn't give a shit! We were supposed to be friends Junpei!"

"You don't even know what love is!" Junpei snapped. "You're thirteen years old! You were only twelve back then!"

"How could you do that to me?" Tomoki's eyes went dark with rage. "Why would you do that?"

"You wouldn't understand, Tomoki." Just as those words left his lips, he was on the ground, his lower lip throbbing.

"I would understand," Tomoki said softly. "I would."

And then Junpei jumped up, tackling the younger brunette to the ground and punching him in the face.

**

* * *

**

"Thanks for walking me home, Kouji," Keiko said, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "It… was really-"

"Keiko! Kouji!" Lopmon was suddenly there, riding on top of one of Keiko's dogs to the front gate. "The traps have been set off!"

"Traps?" Kouji asked, narrowing his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Lopmon got off of the dog, Pacino, and he slipped through the bars of the fence to climb onto Keiko's shoulder. He'd been staying with the brunette, since Neemon was gone. "Lucemon and the other Demon Lords have a ton of traps set. See, when enough bonds break in the right places, these… these creatures are unleashed. They're deadly."

"And where are they unleashed?" Keiko asked.

"All over the city. They're terrible monsters."

"How many are there?" Kouji asked.

"About five, I think," Lopmon replied. "I can sense them. So can Patamon and Salamon."

"Patamon and Salamon are at my house," Kouji said. "I'll go get them. Keiko, you need to get into the city and find the others as quickly as possible. People will get killed if these creatures are as terrible as you say, Lopmon."

"Right." Keiko nodded. "Hang on to me Lopmon!" The brunette took off down the sidewalk, the little brown and pink Digimon holding on to her shoulder as she sprinted.

"Be careful!" Kouji called as he went the opposite direction.

**

* * *

**

Tomoki kicked him off and the two kicked and punched each other for several moments. Surprisingly, Tomoki was actually able to hold his own against the older teen.

"Junpei? Tomoki? Stop!" Michiko cried, her amber eyes wide.

Tamotsu ran forward and he grabbed Junpei behind the arms. "Damn it! I'm so tired of breaking up fights!"

Tomoki wiped at his lip, saying nothing.

"What happened you guys?" Michiko asked, looking upset. "Why are you guys fighting like this?"

Both boys were silent. Tamotsu let go of Junpei. "Alright, look," the blonde said. "I know that this isn't easy for you guys to say, but being silent isn't going to help anything either. The only way we can figure this out is if we try to communicate."

"You're one to talk," Junpei huffed. "You're the one who broke up with Keiko."

"EH?" Tamotsu gawked. "How'd you hear about that already? That was only a half hour ago!"

"Izumi texted me and told me," Junpei said.

"Guys! Just say the reason you're fighting!" Michiko said, looking upset. "Please."

"Because I kissed you," Tomoki admitted, his hands shoved in his pockets. His left eye had a dark circle going around it.

Michiko stared at the ground. "I… don't know what to say."

"Look out!" Tamotsu yelled, pointing up into the air.

A huge, centipede looking creature dove at them, it's mouth wide open, revealing long, sharp fangs.

Just as it came about ten feet away, ready to swallow them whole, it shrieked loudly and flew to the side. Keiko landed on the ground seconds later as it flew across the ground. She turned around, looking breathless. "You guys okay?"

Michiko's eyes were wide. "What the hell was that thing? And how did you punch it like that? What's going on?"

"We don't have time to explain that right now," Keiko said softly. "There are more all over the city." Her eyes landed on Tomoki and Junpei. "Izumi's on her way into the city as well."

"You sure you'll be able to take care of this one on your own?" Junpei asked, looking at the large insect getting off the ground. "They're pretty big."

"I'll be alright," Keiko said. "Lopmon, tell them where the others are."

"One's at Shibuya station. The other's downtown."

"I'll take the one at the station," Tomoki said, merging with Kumamon.

"Right. We'll see you later Keiko. Good luck," Junpei said.

"Yeah." The two ran off and Keiko turned, looking at the beast that was finally sitting completely up, hissing at her.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Tamotsu asked.

Keiko turned around, her eyes going completely soft. The teen looked worried, and Keiko felt her heart racing, not because of the adrenaline, but because of his face. His dark green eyes framed around dark eyelashes, those petal-soft pink lips, everything about him was so perfect. "Um, y-yeah. I'll be okay. You two should get somewhere safe."

Tamotsu nodded, and even though it probably wasn't the best moment, he moved forward, putting his hands against her face and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Be careful, alright?"

"I will."

"Please do," he said softly and he moved back taking Michiko's hand. They ran then.

Keiko turned around to face the monster, which had yellow venom dripping from it's maw. "Lopmon, you might want to move somewhere else." She merged with Chikarimon.

**

* * *

**

"This thing's like a big ass rhino!" Izumi, merged with Zephyrmon, cried.

"I know!" Kouji grunted, merged with KendoGarurumon. "And it's really pissing me off."

"Plasma Pods!"

The lavenderette flew forward and swiped her plasma covered hands across it's back, causing it to cry out.

Kouji sped forward. "Howling Star!"

The giant creature crashed to the ground, howling. It's mouth opened wide and a huge beam came out of it, aiming for Izumi.

"Look out!" Kouji yelled, grabbing the girl and pulling her out of the way in the knick of time.

"Thanks Kouji," Izumi said softly, breathless. "I own you."

"It's fine," Kouji replied, helping her up. "Right now, we have bigger things to worry about."

**

* * *

**

"Just go down already, would ya?" Junpei yelled. He had merged with Beetlemon over five minutes ago, and he was still fighting the giant crab. "Damn it!"

He squawked when a crab claw came flying at him, crashing into the road and cracking the pavement violently. "Alright, then! Thunder Fist!"

He cracked his fist against the claw, causing the crab to shriek and turn into black smoke. "Well, shit. That was easy."

He looked around, seeing horrified bystanders staring at him. "Um, hello."

"What are you?" a woman with her young daughter asked.

Junpei grinned nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Ahaha. Don't worry about it. I'll see you around!" He flew into the air, his eye twitching.

**

* * *

**

"Alright, I'll take the snake," Kouichi said, glaring at said animal. "You wanna get the lion, Tomoki?"

"Sure," the teen replied, back to back with Kouichi. "Think this'll be hard?"

"Let's hope not. You remember the plan?"

"Yep. Let's do it."

"Shadow Meteor!"

"Avalanche Axes!"

Both attacks flew at the creatures, causing them to get extremely angry. They both charged at the same time towards the boys.

"One, two, three! Jump!"

The two leapt high into the hair at the same time, causing both of the gigantic animals to crash into each other with great force that shook the ground. They slid down to the ground, fading away in black smog.

"That was easy… Good job, Tomoki."

The brunette nodded. "Thanks. You too."

"Hey, is everything okay?" Kouichi asked, tilting his head to the side. "You look bothered."

"Huh. If only you knew." He turned back into himself. "I'll see you around, alright?"

"Wait!" Kouichi transformed back into himself as well. "Let's talk about this."

"I said, I'll see you around," Tomoki said, completely ignoring Kouichi's protests.

"Tomoki," Kouichi said softly, sighing.

**

* * *

**

"Well, glad that that's over," Kouji said, brushing himself off as he walked down the street with Izumi. They were doing their best to avoid news cameras and reporters. "You wanna come and grab a slice of pizza with me?"

"Sure," Izumi said, smiling happily at the raven. "Right now?"

"Right now."

"Alright, sounds good!"

"Hey, Izumi?"

The blonde smiled and tilted her head. "Yeah?"

"Don't… don't you think that that fight was too easy in a way?"

Her face slowly turned serious. "I'm not the only one, then."

"I don't think that's the only thing we're going to be going up against for a while."

"I agree." She looked down to the sidewalk. "You think we should talk to the others about it?"

"It's only fair."

**

* * *

**

"Hey," Tamotsu said awkwardly.

"Oh, hi," Keiko replied, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear, Lopmon perched on her shoulder. "You… wanna talk?"

"If that's okay with you," the blonde murmured. "I'll walk you home."

"Yeah, it's fine. Come on."

"Hi, Tamotsu," Lopmon said.

"Hey, Lopmon." The blonde patted his head.

He walked in stride with her, his hands in his pockets to fight off the cold from the brisk November day.

The two next to each other for a few minutes before speaking, and it was Keiko who said something first. "I think the thing that bothers me the most about the reason we broke up, is that… I was so jealous of Michiko. I mean, I was… really, really jealous. The thing going through my mind was that you didn't want me anymore and you were gonna leave me for her but the reality is that she's your best friend, and you've been that way with her for way longer than we've been together or even known each other for that matter." She sighed softly. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. The worst thing a girlfriend can do is ruin her boyfriend's friendships. And Michiko really needed you. I was just being too selfish to think about that."

"I'm sorry too," Tamotsu said. "Yeah, she needed me, but that was no reason for me to ignore you. Because I really did ignore you. Like, a lot. It was supposed to be our Halloween, and we wore the costumes together and everything, just for me to ditch you. I'm sorry, babe."

Keiko felt her heart flutter at the word babe. "It's okay. You don't have to be sorry."

"And… the whole kissing on the forehead thing. I didn't realize I was doing it until you said something, and if you really want me to, I'll stop doing it to Michiko-"

"No. You shouldn't stop doing that just because of our fight," Keiko said, shaking her head. "Um… I kind of really liked it when you kissed me on the nose earlier today."

"Maybe I'll do that, then. If kissing your forehead really bugs you out."

Keiko shrugged. "It works. If you want..."

"I really hate arguing. That was our first fight."

"Yeah, and our first break up," Keiko added.

"Hehe, you're kind of sexy when you yell."

"You're kind of sexy… all the time. Er, really sexy all the time." She wrapped an arm around his. "Naoki and Keiji aren't home."

"Whattabout Saburo?"

"Probably getting it on with Akira in his room, to be honest."

"Hmm. So we'll have some time alone."

"Uh huh."

"Alone with me!" Lopmon exclaimed, smiling.

The newly reunited couple groaned.

**

* * *

**

Michiko fidgeted uncomfortable in the car, wanting to look at Junpei, but too afraid to do so. They'd had a long talk, where he explained everything to her, the things about the Digital World, turning into Digimon, the Demon Lords… The only thing he hadn't gotten into was Takuya.

She believed him after what she had seen. It was just weird.

"Here we are," Junpei muttered, stopping in front of her apartment. "You want me to pick you up for school tomorrow?"

"If you don't mind," the auburn haired girl replied quietly.

"Why would I?"

Michiko didn't answer. She got out of the car. "Bye, Junpei."

Kouichi sighed softly, flopping onto his bed and opening up his laptop. He was exhausted, and he still had to do research on his Takishita Naoki project. Joy.

He began gathering more information about the family, and he was shocked when he found a family picture. There weren't four kids. There were five.

He read the caption, his eyes wild with curiosity:

_Pictured here, left to right, is Naoki (15), Keiji (12), Saburo (8), Keiko (6) and Ayame (5) exactly a year before her untimely death._

Kouichi stared. "Ayame?"

**

* * *

**

Yeahyeah, cliffhangers suck, blah blah blah. (:

**Question 1:** In your opinion, who do you think are the three hottest girls in the story, and the three hottest guys?

**Question 2: **You have the choice: You can marry one of the characters, have sex with one, and be best friends with one. Who do you choose? (You can only pick one for each!)

Just a little bit of fun for you reviewers and myself. :D


	8. Here's to you Kid

**This just poured out. I enjoyed writing this and I hope you all enjoy reading. :D **

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**

**Celestial Writer: **I know! Poor guys! D: I know. Lopmon ruined it a little bit. ^.^' Let's sure hope not! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Sydneybell24: **D'aww. I love you, doll face. (: Thanks! I had no idea what else to do! :P YES! Tamotsu is so hot it's not even funny. xD Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Caliboy: **We actually only have three more days of school, then it's exam time. Dx Oh my God! See what happens when I give Sydney a break from betaing? xD Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter!

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Ooh, you like an Izumi quote? Strange. Kouji's a good boy. TOO BAD HE LOVES IZUMI! xD Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**ThankfulMemories: **Ooh, a very big KouKei fan, eh? (: Me gusta Tamotsu though. Oh, this is just the beginning, doll. (: There's a lot more crap to come. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Jennison Silverye: **Oh wow, I can always count on you to leave long reviews! xD Thanks a bunch! Kouji's a good guy. When he wants to be. (: We have a lot of people waiting for that for some strange reason. Even though Kouji treats Keiko like crap. xD I sense some drama. As usual. xD Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for the good luck! :D

**D4RKWR173R5: **Don't worry! More's to come! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Dephs14: **Oh, a new reviewer! :D *Dances* Hehe, shoot, screw or marry. (: I like that. :D Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Break**

**Warning: Some angst, ****GAY**** sexual themes (graphic).**

**

* * *

**

**1.**

Saburo is 4 and has decided that preschool is _awesome_.

A little boy with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes, who's name is Akira, asked to color with him. Saburo's eyes lightened up and he happily agreed.

The two play together the whole day, taking their nap on cots next to each other and they even wake up at the same time.

Saburo has decided that kindergarten is awesome because he has a new best friend.

**2. **

Saburo is 5 and he decides that girls are icky. One of the girls on the playground named Natsumi kissed him on the cheek before running off and giggling.

Saburo decides he doesn't like her very much, because she has weird, sticky lips and because she's too small and she's wearing a dress with little pink shoes and her hair's long and her legs aren't covered in bandages and for some reason, that makes him want to hurl.

He tells his father that he doesn't like her, and his father laughs. "I'm sure that you'll understand women once you're a little bit over, buddy."

And for the first time, Saburo doesn't believe his father.

**3.**

Saburo is 6 and he doesn't know what to do.

He and Akira were riding bikes in his driveway, and the latter fell, scraping his leg badly on ground. And now he's crying, but his leg isn't bleeding, it's just covered in dirt and it looks red and painful.

"Please don't cry, Akira," Saburo says, getting down onto one knee.

The other boy doesn't respond. He wipes at his eyes with shaking hands and takes in tearing breaths of air. It's then that Saburo remembers what his mother always does for him when he gets hurt.

He gently takes a hold of Akira's soft calf and pushes his lips against his knee, hoping that it'll stop Akira's pain.

The boy is silent, his blue eyes still filled with tears, but he's silent.

"Better?" Saburo asks hopefully.

Akira nods shakily. "Better."

**4. **

Saburo is 7 and he's sure that his father isn't the same as he used to be.

He spends more time in bed than usual and whenever he _is _around, he snaps at everybody, especially his mother and Naoki, and he has dark circles around his eyes.

His mother's said a couple of times that he's under pressure because the company's not doing well, so Saburo makes him a card. He colors it perfectly, being extra careful to stay in the lines. And after an hour of work, he goes into the office and presents it to his father, telling him he loves him and he hopes he feels better.

And his father looks at him with eyes as red as a dragon's and the bags under his eyes are so dark that Saburo takes a step back. "Daddy?"

"I thought I fucking told you not to come in here while I'm working!" He tears up the card and throws it _right in his face_ before pointing to the door. "Get the fuck out, now!"

Saburo gasps and runs out of the office, not looking back even once. He sprints into Keiji's room and lays down on the bed, conveying to his brother everything while the twelve year old rubs his back.

Saburo falls asleep in his arms, wishing for some reason that it were Akira holding him.

**5. **

Saburo is 7 and a half and he has a wife.

One of the little girls on the playground, Izumi, told him forcibly that they were now husband and wife and that Akira is their son.

But honestly, Saburo doesn't even like her that much, and he even tells his father that he doesn't want to play that game anymore, and that if he did, he would rather be married to Akira or somebody who actually had fun with him.

His father shakes his head. "Saburo, boys can't marry boys. Boys marry girls."

"Well, when I take over the company, I'll change the rules."

"Taking over the company won't enable you to change the laws, bud."

Saburo crosses his arms over his chest. "Well, when I take over, that'll be the first thing to change!"

Later that night, Saburo and Keiko are sitting in front of the TV. "I want to marry Akira."

Keiko turns and smiles. "I want to marry Tamotsu."

And Saburo smiles back, happy that Keiko thinks it's alright.

**6.**

Saburo is 8 and he's confused.

Ayame, his little sister is gone, and his parents tell him she's not coming back.

He misses her and he sits on the swing on the side of his house for hours, until his older brother Keiji has to come out and get him.

He cries when he's alone, and once he's done, he cries even more, _because _he's alone.

**7. **

Saburo is 9 and he realizes that his father is a monster.

He has the longest night of his life. His father and mother had a screaming match downstairs and Keiji and Naoki somehow get involved.

Keiko and Saburo find themselves sitting on the steps of the stairs, watching with wide eyes.

Keiji's screaming at his father to stop being so angry and to put the beer down. Naoki is standing to the side, looking ready to intervene.

Their father knocks Keiji down to the ground and launches himself at their mother. Naoki is there suddenly and he smashes his fist into his face, stopping his father from hitting his mother.

It takes a split second, but their father pulls his fist back and punches Naoki so hard that there's a sick _crack _and Naoki falls into the two million dollar vase, causing it to shatter into pieces. He wails loudly, holding his jaw and slurring that it's broken and Keiji gets onto the ground next to him, picking pieces of rare glass out of his arms and legs and his hand. He's bleeding an Saburo feels sick.

Their father is frozen in place, his mouth gaping and his eyes glassy. He looks dead.

Saburo presses a hand to his mouth and he wants to scream, but no sound comes out.

**8. **

Saburo is 10 and his parents are being buried.

He's not being held by Naoki or Keiko or even Keiji, because he's being held by his best friend, the only one who seems to understand what's going on in his head.

Akira doesn't tell him not to cry, because he's a boy and boys _don't _cry, but he's just keeping an arm around him, making sure that he's still standing.

Saburo can't stop crying, _won't _stop crying, not because he feels bad for himself, but because he feels bad for _Keiji_, who honestly thinks the whole accident was his fault.

He can't convince his brother that it wasn't his fault and although Keiji pretends that he believes him, Saburo knows that he doesn't. He cries because Keiji is only fifteen and there's such a great burden on his shoulders.

But Saburo feels comfort in the sense that Akira's there and through the last week of hell, Akira's _been _there. The boy says nothing, which is saying _everything_ and is more than enough, more than he could have dreamed of.

He leans into the boy, because he finds that the only thing that's not spiraling out of control is him.

He's overheard Naoki's conversations with the many social workers that have come over, checking on the family to see if Keiko and Saburo need to be taken away. He's overheard him talking about how wonderful kids the three of them are, especially Saburo, who is one of the most beautiful children he's even encountered in his life.

He finds that no matter what, he'll keep smiling, and he'll remain the same boy that Naoki seems to love so much.

**9. **

Saburo is 11 and he receives his first kiss.

Natsumi, the girl who kissed him on the cheek years ago finds him at the playground again, and although Saburo doesn't remember how exactly how it happened, she's kissing him.

Saburo doesn't like it.

Her lips are covered in that sticky stuff, and Saburo's sure that she's just not _right. _She's so slim and she has curves in all the wrong places, and her hair is blonde, not dark brown, and her eyes are green and not blue, and…

And she's not Akira.

Saburo moves away, murmuring to her that she should go home, and she sniffles and runs away, this rejection a catalyst for her crazy high school lifestyle.

Saburo stares at her retreating form before sighing and walking away.

**10. **

Saburo is 12 and he tries to kill himself.

His heart won't stop pounding and he decides that everything hurts too much: Keiji coming home and falling over so much that Naoki has to carry him up to his room and snap him out of his delusions, Keiko being so numb and emotionless that Saburo can't even recognize her, Naoki falling asleep in his office or in the shower after staying up for days on end.

He jumps into the pool in January, only three days after New Years Day and he lets himself sink to the bottom, the frigid cols prickling at his skin and halting his every thought. It's then that Saburo realizes that he _doesn't _want to die, because he wants to see Keiji and Naoki and Keiko and most of all he wants to see Akira.

He panics, not knowing which way is up and which way is down because the pool is so deep, and just when everything goes dark and his lungs begin to fill up with water, he's on land, barking ringing in his ears and causing his head to throb.

There's a scream of his name, and he knows it's Keiji, but he doesn't have the strength to answer. So he just closes his eyes.

When Akira comes to see him in the hospital only two days after the incident, he doesn't hug him or cry. He hits him. Hard.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Saburo?" he yells. "Damn it!"

"What's your problem?" Saburo rasps, his throat still raw.

"Don't think I'm stupid. I know what you tried to do!" He rakes a hand through his hair. "Damn it!" he yells again. "Why the hell didn't you just talk to me? Why'd you have to go do something so stupid?"

Saburo stares with wide eyes as he watches his best friend, his _everything_ slowly break down. He's ranting about nothing and he feels so guilty that he scared his friend so badly.

"What would I do if I lost you?" he whispers, stopping his pacing around the room and turning to stare at him. "What would I…" His eyes fill up with tears.

"I'm so sorry," Saburo whispers. "I wasn't thinking."

"I can't lose you, Saburo," Akira says brokenly.

"Come here." The lighter haired brunette opens his arms and Akira can't resist the invitation, tears dripping from his eyes as he moves into Saburo's arms, sniffling into his shirt, doing his best to hold back, and he does.

Saburo strokes his hair and rubs his back, murmuring apologies the entire time.

And they stay like that, even after Akira runs out of tears, because it feels wrong to be any other way.

**11.**

Saburo is 13 and he receives his first real kiss.

He and Akira are joking around at a sleepover, and it's probably around one in the morning, but neither care, because time doesn't matter.

It's then that Akira says something about kissing, and how he's never kissed anyone.

"It's nothing," Saburo muttered. "It's not that great."

"Really?" Akira tilts his head to the side. "All the guys say it's awesome."

"Well, maybe if you kiss somebody you really like it's awesome. But mine wasn't very good."

"If I asked, would you kiss me?"

Saburo stares with wide eyes. "What?"

Akira laughs awkwardly. "I was just kidding man! What do you think, I'm some kind of-"

"I would."

Akira sits up. "Well? Will you kiss me?"

"Yes."

Saburo crawls across the floor, leaning forwards with a moment's hesitation and brushing his lips against Akira's.

Fireworks explode behind their eyes, and Saburo cups the back of Akira's head, pulling him closer so that he can deepen the kiss. The blue-eyed teen sighs serenely and wraps his arms around Saburo's waist.

When Saburo pulls away, Akira looks slightly disappointed and very flustered.

"Did you like it?"

Akira clears his throat. "Y-Yeah."

"Good. Me too."

"Saburo?" Akira blinks. "I think I'm gay. And I like you."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I like you too."

They kiss again.

**12.**

Saburo is 14 and he's fighting Akira.

Only a week earlier, the two had come home from school, ready to spend a nice day together, but one of the first things they saw was Akira's mother, hanging from their staircase.

Saburo was speechless, but Akira wasn't. He screamed. He screamed so loudly that Saburo couldn't even hear himself think.

The last time he'd seen the boy distraught was when Saburo tried to kill himself, but even then, the teen had managed to hold back, only having a few tears fall from his eyes.

But now, here his mother was, hanging sheets tied together, his mouth agape, her eyes shut.

"Mom!" Akira wailed, running over to her and grabbing the stool that was obviously kicked across the room by her and setting it upright. He untied her and the woman fell to the ground limply.

Saburo ran over as well, sitting there next to his best friend and lover as he shook her hysterically. With a deep breath, Saburo pressed two shaking fingers to her neck, checking for a pulse.

Nothing.

"She's dead," Saburo said, and Akira turned his head towards him, looking horrified.

"What?"

"She's dead." Saburo blinked back tears.

Akira pushed the dead body out of his lap and he scurried across the floor, hyperventilating. He backed up into his couch, shaking so hard that he was scaring Saburo.

Saburo stood up and pulled his phone out of his pocked. He wondered why he wasn't freaking out as he conveyed his story to the 911 operator, and he wondered why he wasn't comforting Akira instead of talking to the police, but then he remembered. His mother was dead. And Akira couldn't do it himself.

After hanging up the phone, he walked over to his lover, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the apartment and out to the street. They sit on the ground until the police and firefighters come, and Saburo doesn't know what to say, so he says nothing, instead, he holds his hand.

That was a week ago.

Saburo had gotten a call from a good friend of his and his friend told him that Akira was acting weird.

Saburo took a subway to a house where there was obviously a party going on. He was shocked to find Akira snorting lines of something, something that Saburo couldn't even think about, because the fact was they were drugs.

And now, he's fighting him.

It takes several minutes, but he manages to get Akira on the ground, and soon enough, he's dragging the boy out of the house.

Akira yells at him to let go, but Saburo dumps him onto the lawn, slapping him hard across the face.

Akira just stares with wide, glassy eyes. There's white powder on his lip and cheek and his eyes are as red as hell, but Saburo doesn't pay attention to that. He pays attention to Akira's eyes, because they're filled with sadness.

Akira's father left him and his mother when he was only a baby. His mother was all that he had left. And now she's gone.

"What would she say to you right now?" Saburo asks. "Huh?"

And Akira breaks. Suddenly he's sobbing, falling onto his side in the grass and wailing like a child. Because he is a child. And all he wants is his mother.

Saburo scoops him up and holds him for what must be an hour, listening with a broken heart to Akira's pleas to never leave him and he promises that he never will, because leaving him is the last thing he'll ever do.

Keiji brings them home, looking sympathetic, because once upon a time he'd been there too, wasting his life away to drugs and alcohol because he was suddenly alone.

The only difference is that Akira has no other family. His mother was all that he had left. No grandparents, uncles, aunts. Nothing.

Saburo leads Akira up to his room and takes a shower quickly, smiling when he comes back and finds Keiji sitting on the bed with an arm around him, saying something softly. Naoki is there too, sitting on Akira's other side, nodding in agreement with whatever Keiji's saying.

"What's going on?" Saburo asks.

"Akira's going to be staying with us for a while," Naoki informs him.

Saburo feels happy for a moment, and then he remembers the circumstances. The only reason is because of the apparent suicide of his mother.

"You can have the guest room," Naoki says, standing up. "It's the one right down the hall from here. I'll get your bed set up."

Akira looks upset, like he wants to say something. But he doesn't.

Saburo speaks for him. "Actually, can Akira spend the night in here tonight?"

Naoki nods. "Of course. Whenever you're ready, Akira. Saburo will set up a room for you."

"Okay. Thank you," the blue eyed teen says.

Keiko stands up as well, kissing the top of Akira's head in a gesture that is so genuine ad rare that Saburo wants to cry.

Saburo spends the night holding Akira.

**13. **

Saburo is 15 and he loses his virginity.

He and Akira have been together for two years now and during one of their make out sessions, Saburo boldly grabs the bulge in Akira's pants.

The blue eyed teen moans and arches up, gripping at Saburo's shirt.

Saburo doesn't want to give him a handjob, or a blowjob, or just finger him. No, he wants to make love to him.

"Akira," he murmurs, running his thumb over the teen's nipples, which are showing through his shirt, perked up from pleasure. "I want to go further."

Akira nods and kisses his neck. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Before he knows it, Saburo has Akira on his back, and he has three fingers inside, rubbing and teasing and stretching, preparing him for something bigger. Saburo would have thought that Akira would want to be on top first, but he has no complaints.

"Saburo, just do it," Akira pants, stroking himself. "I won't last."

Saburo nods and strokes his own erection, rubbing lubricant across it. He angles it down towards Akira's erection. "Tell me if this hurts too much."

Akira nods and he grabs the backs of his knees. "Next time we do this, I'm on top."

"We'll take turns," Saburo agrees, pushing himself in to the hilt. He stops with some difficulty once he gets there, making sure that Akira adjusts to the whole thing. But damn. He never could have imagined it feeling so _good._

The blue-eyed teen is clutching the blankets, his teeth gritted and his eyes shut tightly. Saburo leans down and captures his lips in a kiss, reaching down and stroking his boyfriend's erection. He wants to make him feel good. He laces his other hand in Akira's, squeezing lightly. "Tell me when."

Akira nods and keeps his eyes closed concentrating. Saburo doesn't stop stroking him or kissing down his jaw and over his eyelids. It takes a few minutes, but finally Akira tells him he can move.

Saburo nods and pulls out so only the head remains inside, then he pushes back in, making sure to go slow. Akira opens his eyes and stares into Saburo's eyes.

Saburo kisses him again, licking his lips and the inside of his mouth. Just when their tongues brush against each other, Akira's eyes snap open and he _convulses, _moaning loudly.

Saburo feels relieved that he managed to hit his prostate, now making it a point to assault it with his length.

Akira's squirming, unable to stop panting a mewling, because it just feels too good, and the connection is so beautifully overwhelming, that he can't stop the tears from gathering in his eyes.

Saburo pulls out and flips Akira onto his side, lifting the leg closest to the ceiling up and over his shoulder, grinning at the flexibility his boyfriend has. He pushes back in and Akira literally howls. The change of angle is hitting all the right spots, and Akira is biting the pillows and clawing at the sheets.

"Oh… AH!" Akira arches and yowls, white spurting out of his length so hard that some even hits his neck and chin. He can't stop twitching, and his passage constricts around Saburo's length so tightly that he sees black spots before coming inside, harder than he's ever came.

They collapse together on the bed, tired and sated at the same time. Saburo's head is on Akira's chest, and the blue eyed boy is stroking his hair. "What if somebody heard us?"

"The only one who's home is Keiko, and she's upstairs with Kouichi."

"Boyfriend?"

Saburo nods. "Yeah. They're probably busy themselves."

Akira smiles. "I love you, Saburo."

"I love you too."

**14. **

Saburo is 16 and he's positive that nothing in the world could ever beat where he is right now.

Now, he's sitting on the couch, curled up with Akira while Keiko and her sexy little boyfriend Tamotsu sit on their left. Keiji and his girlfriend are on their right and Naoki and his new wife are on the chaise.

They've accepted him for who he is, completely uncaring about his sexual orientation and happy that he finally found somebody that loves him.

Keiji, the one he was the most worried about, because he's so close to him, seemed to be overjoyed when he came out. Keiji adores Akira, and he even went as far as tell the teen that he wouldn't even want to see Saburo with anybody else.

And Saburo agrees wholeheartedly.

**Break**

Aww. (: I love me some Saburo, and since you reviewers seem to as well, I decided to give you a little bit of him and his sweet ass. :D

Goodnight! :D


	9. All For One

OH MY GOD. I don't even have an excuse for how late this is. All I have to say, is I'm SOO sorry, and I hope that back-to-back chapters can make it up to you all!

**Review replies to chapter 8:**

**GirlsLikeeBoys:** Naoki fucking rocks. (: Thanks son! I really liked it too! I'm definitely going to do one for the other characters too. :D Thanks fo da review and I hope you like this chaptuh too! :D

**Celestial Writer: **Thanks! I worked my hardest on it. (: I lurve Saburo and Akira, so I really enjoyed writing that chapter. :D Thank you for the review, and I hope you like this chapter and the next one!

**Caliboy: **Thanks! I love the Takishita brothers so it was fun writing about one of them. (: Thank you for the review, and I really hope you like this chapter, as well as the next one! (:

**Dephs14: **Oh, don't worry. You'll see what happened. (: Thank you very much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter and the next one!

**Empyrea: **Oh trust me, they certainly are. Muahaha. (: Kouji can actually be a decent guy every so often. (: I loved writing about Saburo. He's one of my favorites. :D Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you like these two chapters! :D

**D4RKWR173R5: **Thanks for the review! Hope you like these back-to-back chapters! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **Thanks! Ironically, that one was speedy and this one was SOOO slow. Dx I'm actually going to do those types of stories about all the minor characters eventually. (: Wow, that's a really nice compliment. Thank you! :D Hmm, that's certainly an interesting way to think of it. xD I'd LOVE it if the Takishitas were real! I'd write a sick report on them. (: Thank you very much for your (freaking long) review, and I hope you like these chapters! :D

**EclipseWiccan29: **HOORAY! A new reviewer! :D Thanks, I like him too! :D Oh, I LOVE getting requests, but nobody ever gives me any! Dx Hey, why don't you drop me a PM, and you can tell me exactly what you want about them, and I'll do my best to get it out in a chapter or two! :D WOW. You must really like KouKei! That's a really great compliment! Thank you! Thanks a bunch for your review and I hope you like these two chapters! :D

**

* * *

**

"Ayame…" Kouichi stared for several moments. "Takishita Ayame."

What the hell? Was this real? Why didn't Keiko ever mention that she had a sister? Why didn't she mention that said sister died?

Kouichi typed another search into the Google search engine: Takishita Ayame.

For over an hour, he read over obituaries, news reports and even watched the news about it online.

Keiko had a sister named Ayame and she died when she was six.

**

* * *

**

"Keiko!" Kouichi yelled, spotting the girl walking out of the school. She paused and turned around, smiling when she saw him. His heart lurched.

"Hey, Kouichi," Keiko said.

"Hey. Are you walking home today?"

"Oh, yeah." She ran a hand through her hair. "I might hurry though. It looks like it's gonna rain."

"I'll walk with you. We can share my umbrella."

Keiko smiled brightly. "Okay. Thanks Kouichi."

The raven felt guilty. The only reason he had searched her out like a maniac was because he was going to ask her about her sister.

"It's so weird that it's raining in December, huh?" Keiko said conversationally. The look on her face was relaxed.

Guiltily, Kouichi took a deep breath. "Hey, Keiko. You know how I'm doing that report on your brother?"

"Oh yeah. How's that going?"

"Um, it's fine. But I uh, read something on one of the websites and after looking stuff up for a while… um, and I saw that you had a sister."

Keiko froze in place, her mouth agape and her eyes wide. "What did you say?"

Kouichi stared at the ground, shame stopping him from looking up at her. "Ayame. Your sister Ayame. It didn't say how she died or anything, but-"

"You know about Ayame?"

He raised his eyes. "Yeah."

She stared for several moments. "Does anyone else know?"

"No."

Keiko shook her head. "Please don't tell anybody. Especially not Tamotsu."

"Why not? We're your friends Keiko. Why wouldn't you tell anybody about this kind of things? Don't you trust us?"

"It's not that," Keiko said weakly. It was surprising how calm she was being. He'd expected her to have a complete meltdown. "It's not that at all. I trust all of you, es_pecially_ you, Kouichi." She looked down at her feet, trying to stop her legs from quivering. There were no words to explain how she felt. She was scared, nervous, worried and at the same time she felt a strange sense of relief that it wasn't Izumi or Kouji that had found out.

Because if she had to pick to tell any of her friends, she would definitely pick Kouichi.

"I… I think I was to tell you. About this. So would you come over tonight or something and I can talk to you about it?"

Kouichi nodded. "Of course. How's ten sound?"

"Sounds good."

Kouichi squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay."

She nodded, still shaking. "I know."

Her heart was pounding.

**

* * *

**

"Is something wrong?"

Keiko looked up at Kouji, blinking. "No, why?"

"Your hand is shaking. And unless you're freezing to death there should be some sort of reason behind it."

Keiko sat up on her bed, getting off of her stomach and sitting on her legs. "I'm fine."

"No. You're not fine," Kouji muttered, staring languidly at the girl, the corner of his lip turned down. "Something's bothering you. Don't lie to me."

"I'm-m-m-m-m n-n-n-n-"

The pencil snapped in her hand when her arm twitched.

It was dead silent.

"Did you just stutter?"

Keiko put a hand over her mouth, not speaking a word. _~I thought it went away.~_

"Keiko?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Is everything alright?" Kouji looked genuinely worried, and for some reason, that made her feel like the biggest jerk ever.

Slowly, she nodded, swallowing thickly. "I think so."

"What happened just then?" Kouji wasn't going to let this go. "Why'd you stutter like that? I mean, everybody stutters, but that was… bad."

Keiko dropped the broken pencil out of her hand and shook her head. "I don't know." It wasn't a complete lie. She really didn't know why that happened, but of course, she knew about the past with that sort of thing, and-

_Warm._

Keiko blinked and took a deep breath, inhaling a scent that smelled like Axe body wash and something that was so… _Kouji_. He…

He was hugging her.

"Um… Kouji?" she said quietly against his shoulder.

"I don't know what's bothering you, but I can tell it's something big."

"You're hugging me."

"I know."

"…Why? You hate me sometimes. Or actually, all the time."

"That's not true," he muttered. "I'm just an asshole sometimes. But I do care. Even though I don't show it."

"Thanks, Kouji…"

"HEY, HEY!" Saburo slammed the door open. "Keiko, you need to hide this for me!"

Keiko turned and her jaw dropped. "What the hell is that? A chicken?"

"It's obviously a duckling, dumb ass. I found him wandering around on the edge of the high way. His mommy was dead in the road."

"But it's a duck."

"An orphaned duck_ling_," Saburo corrected. "But you need to hold him for a while. I'll be right back."

"Wait, why do I have to?"

"Because Keiji's not home and Naoki doesn't know! And he can't know, so don't let him see Blue."

Kouji quirked an eyebrow. "Blue?"

"How do you know if it's a boy?" Keiko asked, taking the duckling from her brother.

"Cuz it just is," Saburo replied, looking at the two as if they were stupid. "But I need to go get duck stuff and pick up Akira's birthday present for tomorrow. I got him an Italian sports car." He waggled his eyebrows.

Keiko waggled her eyebrows back at him. "Imagine all the hot car sex."

Saburo stared blankly for several seconds as his face turned red. "Whatever. Take care of Blue. And don't let him go into Keiji's room."

"Wait, why not Keiji's room?" Kouji asked.

"Because Keiji has a huge weapon collection."

The two teens and the duckling stared.

"Anyways, I'll be back in like, an hour and a half!" He sped out of the room.

Keiko stared down at the soft brown mass in her hand. It looked back up at her and tipped it's head to the side. "Pweet?"

Kouji's eyes widened. "AWWW!"

Keiko turned her head around, looking horrified. The high pitched sound that came out of her friend's mouth was so unlike him.

Kouji cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry."

**

* * *

**

"Hey, Keiko?" Kouji asked a couple hours later, once Blue was back in Saburo and Akira's room. "There was another reason I came over today. Uh, non-math-related."

Keiko blinked and looked up at him. "What's that?"

"Izumi's sick with the flu… I was wondering if I could have your help making some kayu for her."

"I have some instant stuff in the cupboard, so if you'd like-"

"No. I want to make some… some homemade stuff for her."

Keiko smirked. "Ooooooo-"

"Shut up, Keiko."

**

* * *

**

"Hey Izumi," Kouji said softly, a bowl of kayu in his hands.

The blonde sat up slightly in bed, offering him a tired smile. "Hi Kouji."

"How do you feel?" the raven asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Like shit." There were dark circles under her eyes and her nose and cheeks were pink.

"I made you some kayu. Maybe it'll help." He handed her the bowl and the blonde took it gratefully.

"Thank you."

"How do you feel?"

Izumi giggled. "You already asked that."

Kouji muttered something under his breath as his cheeks flushed.

"Sorry," she said, smiling lightly. "But aren't you worried about getting sick around me?"

Kouji shrugged and his cheeks turned even pinker. "It's fine."

Izumi pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Good."

**

* * *

**

"Well, Naoki and I waited until we were married to have sex," Aya said, smiling at the other people at the table, who looked like they weren't enjoying her story.

"Yeah right," Saburo muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes as he picked at his Fugu.

"Which is why I think you should all wait."

"Too late for that one," Keiji said and Ayaka punched his leg.

"It's too bad none of you have waited," Aya said. "Ayaka and Keiko are such sweet girls, I would hate for anyone to get the wrong idea about them."

"What kind of idea do you think the country got when you moved in here with my brother?" Keiji asked, raising an eyebrow as he took a sip of wine.

"Keiji," Naoki snapped. "Apologize. Now."

"Actually, I don't think I'm going to," the second born Takishita replied.

"Keiji," Ayaka muttered.

"Ayaka."

"It's good to have family discussions," Aya said weakly, keeping a fake smile on her face.

"Not when Keiji's being a complete prick," Naoki said, his tone hard.

"This Fugu sure is good," Tamotsu said, smiling awkwardly.

"Thanks, Tamotsu," Ayaka said.

"Fugu sounds like 'fuck you', which is what I'd like to say to Naoki." Keiji grabbed the wine bottle from across the table and refilled his glass. "You sure you don't want any Tamotsu? Keiko?"

"I'm fine," Keiko said.

"Yeah, me too." Tamotsu looked uncomfortable.

"I'll have a refill." Saburo took it and filled his and Akira's glasses. "I'm _parched._"

"I don't know if it's such a good idea for you to be drinking so much Keiji. And Saburo, you're underage." Aya reached across the table and began pulling the wine bottle from the youngest male Takishita.

"I always get drunk on my father's birthday. And I'm not even tipsy," Keiji snapped, grabbing the wine bottle roughly from his sister-in-law. "Fuck off."

"Keiji!" Naoki slammed his hand into the table. "Knock it off, you dumb shit!"

"Oh, so I'm the dumb shit? The real fucking dumb shit is you, Naoki. You got fucking engaged behind our backs to a woman we didn't even know-"

"Stop it," Ayaka said.

"-You got married, fucking _married_, and you didn't even invite us-"

"Stop, Keiji," Keiko pleaded.

"-And then you invite her to come and live in our _house_, the same fucking house that our father beat the shit out of you in, the same house that Saburo tried to kill himself in, the same house that _Ayame _fucking died in, the same house that I got high in every day, and the same fucking house that she doesn't know shit about the history? I don't know where the hell-"

"Keiji, please!" Saburo said, grabbing his brother's arm. "Please stop it."

Keiji narrowed his eyes at his brother, before they softened. Saburo always had a special place in Keiji's heart.

"Why can't we just get along?" Keiko asked. "Why does it have to be like this?"

"Because Keiji's too much like your father," Aya said.

There was dead silence.

Keiji looked appalled. "What?"

"The problem is that you're too much like your father."

Suddenly, Keiji launched himself across the table, tackling Aya to the ground. She screamed loudly and Keiji pulled his arm back, ready to punch her in the face, but he was sent flying to the ground by Naoki.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" he yelled, punching Keiji across the face.

The two were suddenly fighting. Not the type of wrestling that friends or brothers do, but they were _fighting. _They were actually out to hurt each other.

The first one to act was Saburo: "Oh, fuck _me._" He got out of his seat and dragged Naoki off of Keiji, actually strong enough on his own to hold the eldest back. Akira and Tamotsu got up as well, each grabbing one of Keiji's arms.

Aya had scrambled against the wall, close to hyperventilating. Ayaka got to the ground, putting a hand on Aya's back. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Don't _touch _me!" she cried, slapping the brunette's hand away.

Ayaka growled but didn't act on her anger.

"The _problem_," Keiko said, "is that we don't act like a family."

**

* * *

**

Kouji stared at the sleeping form of the blonde next to him. She was on her back, her lips parted slightly. She was so beautiful.

What did it take for somebody like her to like somebody like him? Kouji grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not fair."

"Kouji," Izumi sighed softly in her sleep, and the raven's eyes widened.

_~She said my name…~_

Taking a deep breath, Kouji leaned down, his lips only inches away from Izumi's. _~Do it. Just do it.~_

Even though his heart was pounding and his arms were shaking, he brushed his lips against hers, which seemed to be a million times softer and more perfect than any other lips he'd ever kissed, whether it be Michiko's, Keiko's, Natsumi's, or any of those other nameless faces.

_~Perfect.~_

He pulled away quickly, his face stained red. Did he really just kiss-

"Asashi…"

Kouji's eyes widened and he stared down at the girl. No. She didn't just kiss him. She kissed Asashi.

Furiously, he grabbed his cell phone, leaving her room.

**

* * *

**

"I'm sorry."

Tamotsu looked at his girlfriend, who was plucking at the sheets next to her legs. "For what?"

"For what happened tonight," she murmured. "You're probably sick of seeing my family have meltdowns on each other. Your family's never like that whenever I come over. It's just not fair."

"Don't worry about it," he said, smiling comfortingly at her. "Seriously. Every family fights. Yours is just having more trouble lately, right?"

She nodded.

"Then don't worry. It doesn't bother me. I mean, I really do hope you all can start to get along, but the fighting doesn't really phase me."

Keiko smiled lightly at him and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you. For being such a good fucking boyfriend."

Tamotsu grinned. "Eh. Don't mention it."

**

* * *

**

"Thanks for dinner," Michiko said, smiling at Junpei. "I never knew you could cook."

"There're a lot of things you don't know about me."

The auburn haired girl lowered her eyes. Right. She really didn't.

"Which is why I came over here tonight. When your parents aren't home. So we can talk. _Actually _talk."

"About…?"

"I don't feel like I've been completely honest with you," he murmured, sitting across from her at the counter, moving his hands across the table and lacing his hands with hers. "And I think I have a few things to tell you."

Michiko blinked. "Okay."

"I… I already told you about the whole Digimon thing. But I didn't tell you about everything else that happened after the Digital World."

"You mean, when you were in the human world?" Michiko tipped her head to the side. "What do you mean? Digimon can't come here, can they?"

"They can. But that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is the friend we lost. Kanbara Takuya."

**

* * *

**

"I just made a mistake."

Keiko and Kouichi stared blankly at Kouji, who was standing there on the former's porch, completely breathless.

The other two teens hadn't even begun talking. In fact, Kouichi had arrived only five minutes ago.

"What?" Kouichi asked, looking puzzled. "Don't tell me you had sex with somebody you don't kn-"

"I kissed Izumi."

Silence.

Thirty seconds of complete, dead silence.

And then, Keiko spoke:

"Seriously?"

Forty-five seconds later, the three teens were sitting on the couch, two staring disbelievingly at one while he conveyed his story, which involved soup, a movie, a kiss, and Asashi.

"I don't even know why I did it," the younger twin said, looking pale. "She was just laying there. And I thought it would be a good idea, because I wanted… I _needed _to kiss her. But now I feel like the shittiest person alive, because she's told me so many times that she doesn't even like _hugging _guys since Asashi died, and I kissed her when she wasn't ready and the worst part about it was that she thought it was Asashi, who's fucking dead." Kouji took a deep breath.

"Is, uh… is that all that happened?" Keiko asked meekly.

"Yeah. I wasn't going to fuck a sleeping sick girl." He glared.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I was just wondering because… I wanted to know if you had any more crazy ranting to do."

Kouji stared blankly. "No. I'm done talking."

"It's okay, Kouji," Kouichi said, forcing a smile onto his face. "She probably won't even remember it in the morning. When you're sick, you have weird dreams, you know?"

"That's just the problem," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I don't _want _her to forget."

Keiko and Kouichi stared at each other. "…Oh," they said in unison.

**

* * *

**

Matsui grinned lecherously at his brother. "You're seriously asking me to help you with this? Isn't this one of those things that should come from deep in your heart?"

"Well, yeah…" Tamotsu scratched the back of his neck. "Our one year is in a week, and uh, I don't actually know what to get her."

"Okay, when Sakura and I went on our one year anniversary, I got her a double-sided dildo and ultra-ribbed condoms."

Tamotsu gawked and slapped a hand over his mouth. "MMMPH?"Matsui nodded, a completely serious expression on his face. "Seriously. But I also got her a diamond necklace, a teddy bear, and I told her I loved the hell out of her."

"Why didn't you just say that before?" Tamotsu wailed.

"Because I like skull fucking you."

"Oh God."

"So that's all you gotta do. Give her an expensive gift or whatever and tell her you love her."

"That's a problem…"

"Oh right, she's already rich. Shit. In that case, go to the closest sex store-"

"No! I mean, I… I've never told her I love her."

Matsui stared. "Joke?"

"No."

"In that case, go to the closest sex store-"

"Matsui, please!"

"I'm being serious."

"Matsui, _please._" Tamotsu looked desperate, so Matsui took pity on his little brother.

"Alright. The question is simple: do you love her?"

Tamotsu stared blankly.

"Well, shit. This'll be harder than I thought. Do you even _like _her?"

"Yes, I like her," Tamotsu said. "That's obvious."

"Okay. What do you feel whenever you're around her?"

"I… I don't know. I'm not around her."

Matsui sighed. "Oh, for the love of-"

"Matsui…" Tamotsu gave him his best puppy dog look. "Please don't be mad at meeee."

"You fuck." Matsui took a deep breath. "Close your eyes. Think of her."

Tamotsu nodded and shut his eyes, taking a deep breath and imagining her face. "Alright, I'm doing it."

"What do you feel?"

"I feel… happy. So happy I wanna cry. I have butterflies in my tummy-"

"YOU STILL SAY TUMMY?"

"I PREFER IT OVER STOMACH, YOU DOUCHELORD."

Matsui laughed giddily. "I haven't said tummy since I was six!"

"Shut up!" Tamotsu curled up into a ball and rolled onto his side. "Fat head."

Matsui groaned. Why the hell did he have to get the most adorable brother on the planet? "Aww, come on Tamotsu. I didn't mean to be hurt your feelings."

"Hmph."

"Tamotsu…" He draped himself over his brother. "Motsuuu."

"Go get me an ice cream bar."

"You fucking brat." Matsui stood up. "I'll get you your ice cream. But before I do, I have one thing to tell you."

Tamotsu sat up and looked at his brother.

"You're in love with Keiko."

The younger blonde's jaw dropped and Matsui left the bedroom for the kitchen.

Tamotsu flopped back down onto his bed. _~Ugh. Life.~_

**

* * *

**

"Look, we'll talk about everything the day after tomorrow. I've got stuff going on tomorrow, so…"

"That's fine," Keiko said. "I've got stuff going on too."

"Alright. I'm gonna bring Kouji home. He's a wreck."

"Well you can thank Keiji for that one. He was the one who decided to give Kouji the tequila shots."

Kouichi sighed. "Yeah. Well I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Alright, later."

"Later, Kei- uh- Keiko. You're the fucking most best friend a guy can have." Kouji sloppily patted her cheek.

"Right. Hope you feel better, Kouji."

"I fucking love you Keiko. Really. You're so greath." Kouji hiccupped as Kouichi slung him over his back. "Even though I treat you like poops."

"Thanks, Kouji." Keiko smiled lightly.

"I love the circus," Kouji slurred, burying his face in Kouichi's hair.

"I know, Kouji," his brother replied as he walked off the porch.

**

* * *

**

"How do you feel, Izumi?" Salamon asked Izumi the next morning.

"A little bit better," the blonde said, sniffling and looking at the clock, which read nine in the morning.

"I didn't wake you up for school, because your head was still warm," the little Digimon said, smiling lightly. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, that's fine." Izumi sat up, blinking hazily. "I don't think I'll be well enough to go to school until next week."

"Too bad your parents aren't home," Salamon said. "They sure do go on a lot of business trips and vacations."

Izumi's smile became strained. "Yeah, I know. But we can't tell the others, remember?"

The dog-like Digimon nodded. "I remember. But you should tell them eventually. They'll probably wonder why your parents aren't ever around, eventually."

"Well it's no big deal," Izumi said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm old enough to take care of myself."

"Of course you are." Salamon said, smiling. "But you should still be close with your parents."

"I know, Salamon. And I am. They've just been busy lately.

Salamon didn't prod any further. "Can I get you some breakfast?"

"I'm going to lay downstairs today." She lowered her feet to the floor, hissing at the freezing floorboards.

Salamon hopped off the bed and she pushed Izumi's slippers over to her. "Here."

"Thank you," the blonde said, smiling. She pulled her robe on and headed down the stairs, Salamon at her side. "You know, I had the weirdest dream last night."

"What was it about?"

"Hmmm." Izumi sneezed into the sleeve of her robe.

"Bless you."

"Thanks." She cleared her throat. "My dream was that Kouji brought Asashi back to me, and we kissed."

"Wow, that must've been a good dream," Salamon said.

Izumi smiled. "It was."

**

* * *

**

Whelp. Stay tuned for the next chapter, which is probably already out by the time you're reading this. xD


	10. Enough

Saburo: Hello all! Welcome to the Here's to the Night Double Feature Chapter Extraordinaire! Now, since the chapter before last was about me, Akira and my family, the authoress has decided to let me come out and talk with you all before this chapter.

First of all, I just want to thank you all for the love! I didn't know I was such a popular character! I've heard I'm even more popular than some of the main characters.

(Kouji: Hmph.)

And seriously you guys, thanks for that. It really means a lot. Buuuut. That's all I've got to say.

Oh, wait! I forgot. Natalie wants me to let you all know that she thanks you all endlessly for the positive feedback on this fic, because without you all, there would be no story. She writes this all for you fans, you know!

So sit back, relax, and please enjoy this chapter of Here's to the Night.

**

* * *

**

"How's work treating you?"

Keiko shrugged. "It's not bad. It's a pretty chill environment."

"Good." Keiji took a sip of his coffee.

"You okay? You look tired?"

He put the cup down and looked at Keiko right in the eye. "I'm thinking about moving."

Keiko's eyes widened. "Moving?"

"Moving somewhere with Ayaka," he murmured.

"When?" she asked. "And where?"

"I still want to live in Shibuya. I just can't live in that house anymore, Keiko. Not with Aya there."

"B-But-"

"You need to understand. What kind of lovers live across town from each other?"

"Then have her move in with us! Please don't leave."

Keiji sighed and rubbed his temples. "Keiko-"

"What'll we do without you?"

Keiji didn't answer.

"Hey, Keiko. Come on up, we've got customers!"

Keiko turned and saw her boss waving her over to the counter, where Atsuko was currently serving a customer. "I have to go." She stood up.

"I'm moving tomorrow."

Keiko paused and stared at her brother. "What?"

"Tomorrow. I'm moving out of the house tomorrow."

Keiko took a deep breath. "Okay."

**

* * *

**

"Hey, Michiko?"

"Yeah?"

Junpei tilted his head to the side. "We're… still cool, right? I mean, after everything I've told you?"

The auburn haired girl nodded. "Of course."

"I just feel like you don't believe me."

"I believe you," she said. "I mean, everything you've said has made sense. The way all of your moods changed after that one day. It all adds up. I just… I think it's so weird that I can't remember him. I remember having a friend who was just like Takuya, but… It's so hard to explain. It's like déjà vu."

"I get what you mean." Junpei sighed. "I guess I'm just glad I remember."

Michiko smiled lightly and kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you remember him, too."

**

* * *

**

"Oh, Kouji. What brings you here?" Izumi asked, feeling dread when she realized she was still in her pajamas and her hair was a wreck.

"I came to bring you your homework."

"Oh…" Izumi smiled awkwardly. "I thought Keiko was going to."

"She ended up having to work today. Sorry to disappoint."

"Oh, no! You're not a disappointment. Uh, come on in."

Kouji shook his head. "No, it's fine, I've got shit to do anyway."

The blonde blinked, surprised at his coldness. Usually, he treated her nicely, but now… "Oh, alright then. Thanks for the work."

Kouji handed her the papers, ripping his hand away when their hands touched, accidentally dropping the papers all over the porch. Izumi blinked in surprise, staring up at the raven haired boy. "Kouji…?"

He took a deep breath. "Sorry, I have to go."

"Wait, Kouji!" She stared sadly at his retreating form. "What's wrong with him?"

**

* * *

**

"I know you're probably mad at all of us," Kouichi said quietly. "And you have the right to be, just… I don't think any of us have really thought much of it, because we figured you had friends your age, and we have out friends, and…"

Tomoki stared at Kouichi. "And?"

"Did you hear that?"

Tomoki rolled his eyes. "I get it. You're trying to change the subject so that-"

"No, I really heard something."

"I didn't hear a thing," Tomoki replied sharply. "Thanks for trying to apologize and all, but-"

"Tomoki."

The younger boy narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Something is here."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Demon Lords."

Tomoki's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sensing traces of them…"

"But they're all locked up, thanks to Takuya. You think it's another one of their traps?"

Kouichi nodded slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I think that's it."

**

* * *

**

Keiko sighed as she walked into the kitchen, taking off her boots and dropping the heels she was forced to wear for work next to them. Naoki would probably bitch at her, since he was a neat freak from hell, but she wasn't worried about that at the moment. She was thinking about Keiji.

Keiko whistled. "Pacino!"

The Siberian Husky came running into the kitchen, tail wagging.

"Could you do me a favor and grab me my slippers and bring Lopmon down? I need an ear."

The dog went trotting out of the room and Keiko grabbed some instant ramen from the cupboard, not in the mood to make anything else.

Nobody else was home. It was just her, the dogs, Mister Boots, Blue and Lopmon. Which gave her some time to brood. Or go out back to the flower field, since the snow was oddly late for December.

The door swung open, and there Pacino was, slippers in his mouth and Lopmon on his back.

"Good boy," Keiko said, grabbing a treat from the dog's jar next to the microwave and tossing one to him. "Thank you Pacino."

The dog barked and headed off.

"Hi, Keiko," Lopmon said, smiling and jumping onto the counter. "How was school?"

"It was good," she said, putting a pot of water on the stove. "Did you have fun at home?"

"Uh huh!" He began fiddling with his long ears. "I watched TV, I took a bath with Blue, I-" Lopmon stopped suddenly.

"Lopmon?" Keiko tipped her head to the side. "Something wrong?"

"The Demon Lords. They've created a new trap."

"What?"

"It's upstairs."

Keiko jumped up. "Pacino! Sam!"

Both dogs came running in, tails wagging excitedly.

"Sam, go upstairs and get Mister Boots and Blue and then get outside. Pacino, take Lopmon outside. Wait out back."

The dogs took off, Pacino grabbing Lopmon and doing as he was told, running out through the doggie door while Sam ran alongside Keiko, breaking off from her once the dog got to Saburo's room, where she scooped up the duckling and ran towards the living room.

Keiko paused at the bottom of the stairs that led to the third floor, her heart stopping when she heard slow footsteps going down the hall. She wanted to run up and attack whatever was there, but her heart was racing for some reason, and she had a sense of dread.

Two feet appeared at the top of the stairs, and Keiko's eyes went up a pair of black boots and long, leather clad legs. Curved hips turned into a flat stomach turned into a bountiful chest turned into a face she had never imagined seeing again, especially not at such a different age, especially not with such an evil look in her eyes, and especially not with a long katana strapped to her back.

"Ayame?"

**

* * *

**

"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," Michiko said breathlessly, leaning forward and putting her hands on her knees. "Junpei wanted to go see, so he ran off. I got lost in the crowd."

"Are you alright?" Kouji pulled her off to the side, sitting her down on a bench.

She nodded "I'm okay. I think I twisted my ankle though."

Kouji could barely hear himself think over the screams and cries of the crowd, which was herding through the streets in a panic.

Kouji groaned, deciding to help Michiko out. "Look, I'm going to get you to safety. Junpei's probably got a good hold on things over there."

Michiko nodded and wrapped her arms around Kouji's neck when he lifted her off the bench. "Thank you," she murmured.

Kouji shook his head. "No problem. Hang on to me."

"You think Junpei's going to be okay?" she asked.

"Junpei should be fine. He'll be able to get out of there when things get bad."

"No, I mean when he fights it. I… he told me everything. All the Digimon stuff. And he told me about Takuya."

"He… told you about Takuya?"

Michiko nodded slowly. "And I'm so sorry, Kouji."

"I…"

"I should be fine at this restaurant," she said softly. "You should go give Junpei a hand."

"Right." Kouji set her down in front of a restaurant, where an owner immediately lifted her up and took her inside.

Kouji spun around and ran back to assist Junpei.

**

* * *

**

"I wish there were something I could do to help," Izumi said softly, staring out the window worriedly.

"If you as a person are weakened, your spirit is as well," Salamon said. "I'm sure they'll be alright."

"I hope so." The blonde sneezed again and Salamon sighed softly.

"You should really get back into your blankets. You'll only get worse."

Izumi sighed and nodded. "Right. Thanks Salamon."

"Hmm." Salamon's ears perked up.

"What's the matter?"

"Something bad's here," she said softly, looking up at Izumi. "We need to hide."

**

* * *

**

"A-Ayame…" Keiko dropped to her knees, staring up at the blonde at the top of the stairs. "You're here."

Her sister stared at her with emotionless green eyes before she slowly pulled the sword off of her back.

"You're here," she gasped. "You're really here."

The blonde said nothing.

"You're supposed to be dead. How-"

Keiko was interrupted by her own gasp as she jumped out of the way of Ayame's attack.

"You've got worse coming."

**

* * *

**

"That was harder than last time," Kouichi observed, staring at the spot where the monster had been attacking them. "You think that means something?"

Tomoki tilted his head to the side. "It could… And it seems like these things are taking different shapes."

"I've noticed that." Kouichi sighed. "At least nobody got hurt."

"Yeah."

"Tomoki? You okay?"

The brunette nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine, why?"

"You seem… off."

"Not that you'd know," Tomoki huffed. "See you around, Kouichi."

"Please wait. Just talk to me. You're not helping anything by running away."

"You're one to talk. You're the one that's been running away for the last four years. I know that something's wrong with you, but you're not telling anybody. Don't act like I've forgotten about that time when you were holing yourself up in your room, not talking to anybody."

"Tomoki, that's different. Kouji was-"

"It's not different. You know it. Jesus Christ, when are you all going to stop treating me like a child?" he yelled.

Kouichi blinked slowly. "Tomoki, I'm so sorry."

"Save it," he snapped. "Just leave me alone."

Kouichi didn't try to stop him when he walked off.

**

* * *

**

"Did you see Michiko?" Junpei asked as he and Kouji, merged with their Digimon, leapt across buildings and away from the countless news reporters.

"Actually, I did," the raven replied. The two stopped. "She almost fell over and I caught her. She hurt her ankle, so I carried her to a restaurant."

"She's alright, though?"

Kouji nodded. "She's fine. She said you told her about the Digimon thing. And Takuya."

"Well, yeah."

"She believed you?"

Junpei nodded. "Yeah. She did."

"Huh."

"Which restaurant did you bring her to?"

"Oh." He pointed down the street. "It's that one. Right there."

"Thanks, man. I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Right. See you."

Kouji jumped down and into an alleyway, turning back into himself. Just as he was about to step out, something crashed into his back. "The fuck-"

"Kouji! Keiko and Izumi are in trouble!" Patamon cried.

"_What_?"

"They're both being attacked. And if you don't go to get them soon…"

"Where are they?"

"They're both at their houses. I don't know how you'll be able to get to them both!"

"Shit." Kouji put a hand to his head. _~Lobomon. I need your help, now.~_

"What is it Kouji?"

Kouji was surprised that Lobomon was actually out. Not only was he there, but he was in a solid form, rather than his spirit form.

"I need you to get to Keiko. She and Izumi are in trouble, and they're on other sides of town. I'm going to merge with KendoGarurumon to get Izumi, alright? You need directions?"

"I know where she is," Lobomon muttered, turning. "I'll come back to you once I get her."

"Thanks."

The two ran off in opposite directions.

**

* * *

**

Somehow, Keiko had ended up in her room, dodging rather than fighting. She didn't want to hurt Ayame. She was finally back, and the last thing she wanted to do was to fight with her.

"Please stop, Ayame," Keiko wailed as she ducked under the sword and moved backwards into the glass doors leading to the balcony.

Ayame punched the brunette hard enough so that she crashed through the glass, hitting her back on the marble railing and protecting her from a four story fall. Just as she opened her eyes, Ayame hit her with a vicious roundhouse kick that sent her falling off the balcony.

**

* * *

**

"Izumi!" Kouji yelled, running into the house. Laying on the floor was Izumi, Salamon by her side, weakly getting up from the ground. "Izumi, wake up!" He got to the ground next to her, pulling her onto his lap. "Izumi!"

"I managed to fight it off, but it was too much for me," Salamon said weakly. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you did your best," Kouji said. "You took care of it?"

Salamon nodded. "Izumi got hurt. He threw a table at her and it hit her in the head."

Kouji looked down to the blonde. "Izumi…"

"She'll be okay. I think she just needs to sleep it off. She'll probably just wake up with a nasty headache."

"Right. Thank you Salamon."

He picked the girl up and shifted her to one arm for a moment. "Get on my shoulder, Salamon. I'll bring you upstairs."

"Thank you, Kouji," Salamon said, climbing onto the raven's shoulder.

**

* * *

**

Keiko cried out in agony when she hit the ground on her back. Nothing was there to stop her.

Ayame landed right next to her and kicked her across the lawn and over the steel fencing around the pool.

Keiko struggled to get up off of the marble floors, her lip bleeding heavily onto the tile while her arms shook violently. She couldn't even fight back, and she never had a chance to transform. _~I can't do this…~_

Just as the thought passed through her head, she felt a kick go straight into her ribs, and she cried out when she was sent into the fence, landing on her back. She coughed up blood and could only watch as Ayame came closer, ready to finish her off with the katana. _~No…~_

She shut her eyes, preparing for the worst pain of her life, but nothing happened. She opened them again, her eyes widening when she saw a light sword pushing against the staff and keeping it away from her.

"Kouji?" Her voice was slurred and rough.

"Lobomon," was her answer.

She blacked out for a while, but when she woke up, she was being held up by a pair of strong arms, and her head was laying up against metallic armor.

The brunette opened her eyes and was shocked to see Veenomon there, looking at Lobomon with wide green eyes as he spoke.

"I'm not sure if Takuya and Agunimon are still alive, but they may not have completely destroyed the seal. I'm not certain though. I can't sense either of them."

Veenomon nodded. "How did you know to come here and save us?"

"Kouji told me. Patamon told him."

Veenomon smiled shyly and tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her ear, looking down. Keiko furrowed her eyebrows when she saw a blush across her cheeks. _~Veenomon… likes Lobomon?~_"Hey, you're awake!" Veenomon looked thrilled. "Are you okay? I managed to heal a lot of your wounds, but there's nothing I can do for your cheek. I'm sorry."

Keiko reached up and touched her cheek gently. It felt swollen, but it wasn't too bad. "It's fine. Thank you for healing me. What happened?"

Lobomon opened his mouth to speak, but another spoke first.

"You guys alright?" Kouji was standing there, his hands in his pockets. "Izumi's okay."

"Good." Veenomon looked relieved. "Was there much of a fight?"

"No, Salamon managed to fend whatever was attacking Izumi off. What about you guys?"

"I had to fight a little bit. Veenomon came out and helped. Then she healed Keiko up. She had a cracked rib and some pretty bad cuts and bruises."

"You alright, Keiko?" Kouji asked, looking down at her.

Keiko nodded. "I'm okay."

"I'll carry her to bed," Veenomon offered. "You're probably tired, Lobomon."

"I can walk," Keiko argued.

"Not after the healing process. It's best to just not move for an hour or so."

"I'll carry her, it's fine," Lobomon replied, standing up and taking Keiko with him. "You know how much the healing drains you."

Veenomon flushed and lowered her eyes. "Okay…"

**

* * *

**

"So you have a crush on Lobomon?" Keiko asked softly as soon as the two males left.

Veenomon's eyes widened. "What?"

"It's obvious. Don't lie to your other half."

The blonde sighed. "Yeah… I do. I think he's with Agunimon though."

"…What?"

Veenomon giggled. "It's weird. You'd have to be there to understand."

"What was Lobomon saying about Takuya and Agunimon?"

"Oh… Um, it was nothing."

"Veenomon, please. Just tell me."

"Well, I just don't want to get your hopes up, Keiko."

"Please tell me."

She sighed. "Well, to be able to send things out at the power level they're being sent out at, the seal must be broken."

"But with the human seal-"

"The Demon Lords are the strongest things we've ever encountered." Veenomon pushed a piece of long blonde hair behind her ear. "With them, anything is possible. But with the human seal, the actual things inside are sealed for nine months to a year. Their powers are able to be sent though. It's strange, I know, but the seal has been broken and it only took six months."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that in two to six months, they'll be back."

"And what does that mean for Takuya and Agunimon?"

"It means that they've been destroyed, since they were the seal, and the seal is broken."

"But Lobomon said that-"

"The chances of Takuya and Agunimon being alive is about one percent."

"So… they're dead?"

Veenomon sighed softly. "I'm so sorry, Keiko."


	11. Soaring

This chapter was a request from EclipseWiccan, who is a major KouKei fan! :D I hope you like it!

**Review replies to chapter 9/10:**

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **I enjoy the fact that you like Izumi now. (: Me gusta Kouichi too. I love him, he's so cute. :D Rightright. Every birdie's gotta leave their nest eventually! xD Tamotsu's gonna give Keiko some loving soon, son. Don't worry. xD Thanks for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter!

**Jennison Silverye: **WOW. Long reviews! xD I'm glad you like the Kouji/Keiko moments! There a lot more to come in this chapter, which is a request. (: Kouji's got it bad for Izumi. It's kinda cute in a pathetic way. xD And chapter 10 is your favorite! Wow, thanks! I'm trying to make this story become more interesting. The first few chapters were so BORING. The traps WERE pretty nasty. The whole Ayame thing. Poor Keiko. Veenomon's adorable. xD Thanks so much for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter!

**Caliboy: **Yeah, this one's late too. *Sweatdrops* I'm surprised so many people liked chapter 10! I'm glad though! xD Lots of action coming up too! Thanks for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter!

**EclipseWiccan29: **Thanks! I hope you really like your chapter!

**Celestial Writer: **Aya's a BITCH. (: I know, Kouji's got such a sad ordeal. ): Veenomon's a doll. xD Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter!

**Empyrea: **Thanks! And Tamotsu and Keiko have been dating for a year. xD Poor Keiko with the whole Ayame thing! Thanks so much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

Okay, so halfway through writing this chapter, I'm like, okay, why does this all seem so freaking familiar? And so I looked online for like, a half hour, and I realized a couple elements from this chapter have similarities to the Sailor Moon Movie, Black Dream Hole. I geeked out so bad. xD Ahem. So as a reminder, I don't own Sailor Moon or Digimon. Heheee. xD

* * *

**Warning: Sexual themes in middle of chapter (moderate)**

**

* * *

**_Police officers have been frantic in trying to find the culprit in this mass kidnapping. Reports have shown that the victims have all been young girls between the ages of 14 and 18. All of the kidnappings reportedly happen late in the night, and some have reported hearing music playing at the same time. Over 200 girls have been reported missing in the last week and-"_

"Alright, enough of that," Naoki said, turning the TV off. He looked over at Keiko, who was sitting next to him on the couch. "Have any of the girls in your school disappeared?"

Keiko sighed. "Yeah, a bunch. It's weird. I mean, music playing and-"

"Naoki, I need your help with these decorations!" Aya cried from the dining room.

"Sorry, Keiko." He got up and left.

The brunette sighed and picked up her cell phone when it vibrated. It was a call from Kouji.

"Hello?"

"Keiko? Have you heard about the kidnappings?"

She stood up and began heading upstairs. "Yeah, I have. I have a bad feeling about them."

"Same here. I bet it's another Demon Lord scheme, what about you?"

"I agree."

"I say we try and figure out what's going on. Things are only going to get worse if we don't."

"Right. You and the others can come over tonight. We'll try to figure out what's going on."

**

* * *

**

"But what would the Demon Lords do with teenage girls?" Izumi asked, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

Junpei frowned. "Do you think they're going to ra-"

"Doubt it," Kouji said.

"Maybe it's because they're defenseless," Kouichi said.

"But then again, children are way more defenseless than teenage girls," Tomoki muttered. "Wouldn't they go for kids if it was about defenselessness?"

The door to the room swung open, and Aya peeked in. "Keiko? It's time for your friends to get going now."

"It's eight o'clock. And it's winter break," Keiko snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You heard me. It's getting dark." The door shut.

"What a bitch," Izumi grumbled.

"Yeah, don't I know it."

"Well, we'll talk more about this tomorrow, alright?" Kouji said, standing up. "See you around. You still want a ride home, Izumi?"

"Oh. Yes please," the blonde said, smiling.

"Bye guys," Keiko said, sighing as they left, shutting the door behind them.

**

* * *

**

_Kouji! Kouji, wake up!_

With a loud gasp, the raven shot up in bed, looking around. "Kouichi?" he called softly, thinking it had been his brother calling his name.

_Kouji, it's happening! You need to go!_

Kouji blinked. "Taku-"

_Kouji, you need to go! Now!_

Kouji ran to his brother's bed, shaking him roughly out of his sleep. "Kouichi, it's happening. Come on!"

The older twin blinked slowly and sat up, looking around. "Where's that music coming from?" he asked blearily.

Kouji froze and narrowed his eyes, listening closely. Light music from a flute was coming through the windows. _~Shit, the music…~_

He picked up his phone, dialing Izumi's number as quickly as he could. He wasn't sure why he did it, but he wanted to make sure she was still in bed.

It went straight to voicemail.

"Fuck!"

He threw his phone down and quickly pulled on some clothes. "Come on, Kouichi, let's go!"

**

* * *

**

"Where are they all going?" Junpei asked as he, Kouji, Kouichi and Tomoki ran through the crowd of girls. They were all walking like zombies to an unknown destination, their eyes glazed over completely.

"They're all girls I know," Kouichi said softly. "Haruka, Kotone…"

"We need to figure out where they're going," Kouji said.

_They're in the park. Go!_

"Come on!"

They ran, and the music got louder. Kouji was leading them, and the others didn't doubt him, even though he would have no prior knowledge of where they could possibly be. He kind of was their new leader.

"Michiko!" Junpei yelled suddenly, stopping and running to the side. He grabbed his zombie-like girlfriend by the arm, pulling her. "Michiko, wake up."

"Let go," she murmured, trying to pull her arm away.

"Michiko, snap out of it!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard.

She blinked several times and furrowed her eyebrows at him. "J-Junpei? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later," he said. "You need to get home now, though. Things might get ugly."

"Okay," she said. "Be safe."

"I will," he murmured, nodding as she ran off in her pajamas.

"I'm going to look for Izumi," Kouji announced. "I've got a feeling that she's around here."

"Right." Junpei looked at the crowd of girls. "I'm going to go figure out where they're all headed. Tomoki, you come with me."

The youngest nodded. "Okay."

"I'll try to find Keiko," Kouichi said. "We'll all meet up at wherever these girls are headed."

Kouji nodded and ran off.

_You shouldn't only worry about Izumi, you know. She's a big girl, she can take care of-_

"Shut up, Takuya," Kouji snapped. "Help me find her."

_Fine. Go right and take a straight shot. You'll find her there._

"Hn."

Kouji veered right and sprinted as fast as he could, blowing by the girls and actually causing some to stumble with how fast he was going. He saw a head of blonde hair and he froze. "Izumi!"

The blonde was wearing a tank top and shorts, her feet bare.

"Izumi, wake up!" Kouji cried, grabbing her tightly.

"Let me go," the blonde murmured. "Let me go."

"Izumi, you need to wake up."

_Try kissing her._

"Shut up, Takuya," Kouji snapped.

_Or give her a little spanky. Bare butt._

"Knock it off, Takuya!" Kouji yelled. "How do I wake her up?"

_I don't know! Shake her or something._

He did so. Her eyes fluttered open. "Kouji…? Where are we? What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way. Come on, we need to go."

**

* * *

**

"So, all the girls that've been kidnapped have been under hypnotism?" Keiko asked as she ran through the streets with Kouichi, stumbling over her slipper covered feet.

"Careful," Kouichi said.

"I'm alright. It's just hard running in these." She usually wore an oversized T-shirt (Tamotsu's) to bed, and now she was paying for it. Her legs were _freezing._

"What is _that_?" Kouichi asked, his eyes wide as he and Keiko approached a gigantic wooden ship. The girls were all walking right onto it, taking the huge opening on it's side. About a hundred girls were on the deck, laughing and playing around.

"Hey, stop!" Keiko yelled, trying to push the girls away from the door. "Don't get on! It's too dangerous!"

"Who's up there?" Junpei yelled, as Kouji and Izumi ran up to the others. "Show yourself!"

The music stopped, and all the girls dropped to the ground, whether they were on the ground, getting onto the ship, or on the deck.

A tall woman dropped off the deck, smiling. "LadyDevimon, at your service."

"Give the girls back," Kouji said, stepping up in front of the pack. "All of them!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." She grinned. "If the Demon Lords are going to be released, we're going to need some strong hearts."

"Strong hearts…" Kouji blinked. "The Demon Lords aren't going to be brought back! The human seal works for a few more months!"

"Few more months…?" Izumi stared at Kouji. "What do you mean?"

"That's where you're wrong," LadyDevimon said. "You see, working with Witchmon has it's advantages. We're working on a spell to be able to reverse the seal. And for that, we need another strong human heart. So we can look for them here, with all of these girls."

"But why only teenage girls?" Tomoki asked, narrowing his eyes. "What's different about them?"

"They're more fun to play with." She grinned and lifted one of said teenage girls off the ground. "Come out, my loyal Witchmon! Kill these warriors! And make sure you bring the girls!"

"I can't spirit evolve," Junpei ground out.

"What?" Kouji shut his eyes and attempted to spirit evolve, but to no avail. "Why can't we spirit evolve?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention that itty bitty detail?" LadyDevimon laughed. "After hearing the music, you lose your ability to spirit evolve. Isn't that nice?"

"Well isn't that convenient?" Izumi muttered. "Now what?"

"I… I don't know…" Kouji looked around at the Witchmon surrounding them on their broomsticks. "I don't-"

_Don't give up!_

He narrowed his eyes. "We'll just have to take care of these Witchmon with our outside abilities. Everybody got a handle on them?"

Nods.

"Let's go!"

_I'm so proud of you, Kouji…_

Kouji immediately ducked underneath a Witchmon, grabbing a fallen branch from the ground. _~Thank God for kendo.~_ He swiped at the witch-like Digimon, attempting to knock her off her broomstick, but to no avail.

"How exactly do you think enhanced senses are going to help me, Kouji?" Kouichi asked as he fended another Witchmon off with a branch, back to back with Kouji.

Kouji rolled his eyes. "I don't kn-"

"Duck!" Kouichi grabbed Kouji and pulled him down to the ground, and a couple seconds later, a blast of water hit right above their heads.

Kouji raised an eyebrow. "That's how."

"Get on the boat, girl!"

Keiko moved out of the way of a diving Witchmon and when it came back around, she punched her hard enough to send her into the dirt.

"Forget that we can both fly?"

Izumi ignored the Witchmon behind her, concentrating only on losing her. She was flying through trees, around the slides and swingsets set up around the park. She just needed to hold her off long enough for her to get to Tomoki, who could put up a force field and protect her.

Said brunette was busy with his own Witchmon. He currently had the Digimon on the ground, underneath him, and he repeatedly punched the thing in the face, not stopping, because if _Michiko _had been taken-

"Tomoki! Go!"

Izumi flew by, and immediately Tomoki put a force field up that the Witchmon smashed in to.

"Take this! Baru Luna Gale!"

Junpei managed to move out of the way, but he got his cheek scraped up in the process. He grinned at the Digimon. "I guess you don't know my power, huh?" He wiped the blood away and the scrapes were gone.

"Enough of this! Just get the girls and let's go!"

The Witchmon (there had to be at least thirty or thirty-five, Kouji guessed) all scattered around, grabbing the unconscious girls from the ground and flying them to the ship. The huge opening on the side began to close as the music began playing.

The girls on deck began moving around, singing along to the music and laughing excitedly.

"Stop them!" Kouji yelled.

All six of them ran to the boat, trying to stop the Witchmon and LadyDevimon. Keiko yelped when a Witchmon grabbed her around the waist from behind, flying into the air with her.

"Keiko!" Kouji yelled, grabbing her leg. He heard a scream below him, and he saw another Witchmon with Izumi tucked under her arm. _~If I let go now, I could land on the Witchmon and save Izumi.~_

"Sorry Keiko," he muttered and he let go of her ankle, landing right on top of the Witchmon as he'd planned and sending them all to the ground.

By now, all the girls were singing and Keiko was dropped bodily onto the deck. She got off the wooden floors and struggled past the girls, moving to the edge of the boat.

"Keiko!" Junpei called. "Keiko, jump, I'll catch you!"

The brunette tried to get through the crowd, falling onto her side when the ship lurched and began moving up in the air. She scrabbled past the girls, trying to climb up on the edge, but there were two girls blocking the way, and she was unable to get through.

"Help!" she cried desperately, reaching an arm out.

"Keiko, jump!" Kouichi shouted.

"Can't Izumi fly and get to Keiko?" Tomoki spat, looking down at Kouji, evidently angry.

"She's unconscious," Kouji murmured, kneeling down and attempting to tend to her. "Can't you make a force field and stop the boat?"

"I can't make ones that big," the brunette replied softly.

"Help! Help me!" Keiko wailed, trying to push past as the boat got higher in the air.

Junpei lowered his eyes, clenching a fist. "Shit."

The rest stared helplessly as the boat flew higher and past the clouds, Keiko on it.

**

* * *

**

"Where's Keiko?"

Kouji blinked and looked down at Izumi, who was laying on a park bench. "You're awake."

"Is she okay?" the blonde asked.

Kouichi sighed. "She was taken."

Izumi looked devastated. "W-What? The last thing I remember is you holding onto her leg. How did she get away?"

"I… I let go of her and landed on top of the Witchmon that had a hold of you. I figured that if one of you had to be captured, it should be Keiko. What good would she be in finding a boat flying above the clouds?"

"I guess that makes sense," Izumi said softly.

_Wow Kouji, that's a really good lie!_

"Shut up," Kouji muttered.

The blonde stared at him. "Huh?"

"Oh." Kouji turned his head to the side. "Nothing. I was just… thinking."

"Obviously you don't think," Tomoki said. "You couldn't have just pulled Keiko down and then landed on top of Izumi and the other Witchmon then?"

_He's got a point._

"Shut up," he said to both Tomoki and Takuya.

"Just because you want to go out and play hero doesn't mean that you should endanger other-"

"Stop," Kouichi said. "Arguing isn't going to solve anything. We need to go find that ship and figure out where it's taking all the girls."

"We can always ask this chick," Junpei said, pulling the Witchmon over, who was obviously weakened by the earlier fall. "She must know if she's been doing this for the entire week."

"I won't speak of anything," the Digimon said, turning her head.

Junpei dropped her against a tree, putting his arms over his chest. "You will actually. You honestly think you can stand a chance against the five of us? Now, where's the boat going?"

The Digimon harrumphed and turned her head to the side. "Give me one good reason why I should tell you."

"I'll take care of this one, boys," Izumi said, walking over and grabbing the Digimon by the arm. She pulled her across the grass and began saying something to her. The Witchmon's eyes slowly began to widen.

"What do you think she's saying?" Kouichi asked.

"At this point, I can honestly say I don't even want to know," Junpei said, frowning slightly.

"Good news!" Izumi came back, pulling the witch-like Digimon with her. "Witchmon here's going to bring us to the boat herself tomorrow night!"

"Why tomorrow?" Kouji asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Don't do that, it's too adorable for the fan girls," Izumi said. "But at this point, the boat's not accessible without three times the magic that Witchmon already has. So tomorrow night, we're all going to sneak onto the boat with her help!"

"How do we know she's not lying?" Tomoki asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Trust me," Izumi said, grinning. "She wouldn't dare."

"Well, what're we going to do with her now?" Junpei asked.

"Well that's a silly question! She's going to spend tomorrow with us!"

**

* * *

**

"So you guys are going to be able to get Keiko back for sure?" Michiko asked, eyeing the blonde at Izumi's side.

"Positive," Junpei said, nodding. "And on top of that, we'll get all of the other girls back too."

"Good," Tamotsu said, sighing softly. "I just hope she's alright."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Izumi said reassuringly. "We'll have her back to you all by-"

"Hey there."

The talking was interrupted by an upperclassmen, who was leaned over the table, leering at Izumi and Witchmon, who was disguised as a human girl.

"What did you say your name was, new girl?" he asked, smiling.

"Witchmon," she grunted.

"That's a strange name." He looked over to Izumi. "And I already know who you are, or course. Orimoto Izumi. I play on the football team, so I've seen you cheer. You're quite good." He turned to Junpei. "Didn't know you had such cute friends. Of course, I knew your girlfriend was cute, but you never told me about Miss Orimoto, here." His eyes lowered and he checked out her bodacious breasts. "Nice."

Just as Kouji was about to jump up and beat the shit out of the black haired teen, Michiko spoke up:

"She isn't interested, pervert. Find somebody else to bang."

He was about to snap something, but he stopped, looking to Junpei. "She's a feisty one. Nice choice there, buddy." He smiled and Izumi. "Call me sometime. Junpei can give you my number." He walked off, not even looking as if his pride was wounded.

**

* * *

**

"You never told me your friends were such jackasses. Actually, you've never even introduced me to your friends at all," Michiko said as she walked home with Junpei, his arm around her shoulders.

"That's exactly the reason why," the brunette said. "_Because _they're such jackasses."

"I'd still like to meet them, though," the auburn haired girl said. She lowered her eyes. "I don't want to feel like you're embarrassed of me."

"How in the hell could I be embarrassed of you?" Junpei asked in shock, stopping and grabbing the girl by the shoulders, turning her towards him. "Do you not see the girl that I see?"

Michiko sighed softly, not speaking.

"Michiko, you're funny, sweet, athletic…" He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not good with this kind of thing. And I'm sorry if I haven't been showing you how much you fucking effect the hell out of me. But you… you're honestly the most amazing girl I've ever met. And I hope you never think any differently, alright?"

Michiko worked her mouth for several seconds before she ran into her boyfriend's chest, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his shirt. "Thank you, Junpei."

He smoothed her hair back and pushed her chin up for a kiss. "Your parents gonna be home?"

She shook her head. "No. Mom's still on her pleasure cruise and dad's working late."

He smiled and bent down for another kiss. "Perfect."

**

* * *

**

"I think it's your turn to go first," Michiko murmured, squirming underneath her boyfriend. "I did last time, I think."

"I want to do you first," the brunette rumbled against her neck, and the auburn haired girl shivered against him. He slid down her body and raised her skirt, pulling her panties down quickly.

Michiko murmured in embarrassment, almost immediately silencing her protests when she felt his tongue snake across the inside of her folds.

"Why do you have to be so good at this?" she gasped, her head falling against the pillows.

"Because I want you to feel good," he replied lightly, pushing a finger in.

Michiko mewled. "B-But shouldn't you be with the others, plotting on how to get the girls back?"

"We aren't going to be meeting for another two hours. Just relax, baby. I'll take care of you."

She sighed and moaned when he pumped his finger in and out. "I don't know how I'm supposed to argue with that," she said breathlessly.

"Then don't."

**

* * *

**

"Alright, remember our deal," Izumi said, Tomoki on her back as she flew through the skies with the others on a smaller boat created by Witchmon. "You get us on the boat, and then you're free to go."

"Everybody remember what our jobs are?" Kouji asked. "Izumi and Kouichi are going to free the girls. Junpei and Tomoki, find LadyDevimon. I'll get Keiko. You said that it's guaranteed that she'll be in a separate holding cell, Witchmon?"

"I'm positive. They would hold her in the room all the way at the back of the ship."

"There's the ship," Tomoki said, pointing. "And there're girls on the deck again.

"Wow, it's really huge," Kouichi said. "How are we going to be able to find the girls?"

"They're all over the ship," Witchmon said. "You should be more worried about the Witchmon taking guard."

"We'll worry about that some other time," Junpei said.

"Alright, get ready guys. We're about to land," Kouji said, narrowing his eyes. "Everybody run as soon as we touch the ground. "1... 2... 3!"

They all dropped down to the deck and began running off to their stations. Kouji sprinted off to the door at the back of the boat, Junpei and Tomoki climbed the ladder to get to the wheel at the front, and Izumi and Kouichi climbed down the ladder that led to the bottom, where there would be a cargo hold for any other type of boat.

"Shit. She's not up here," Junpei growled. "Where would she be?"

Tomoki looked around. "Let's search the deck. And if we don't find her here, we'll head downstairs."

* * *

"Oh my God," Izumi said, staring with wide eyes at the sight in front of her and Kouichi. Hundreds of girls were locked in cages, all in a somewhat catatonic state. "All these girls… Their families must be so worried."

"These cages are locked," Kouichi said, tugging on the metal bars holding the teens inside. "We need to find some sort of keys."

"God, why can't anything ever be easy?" Izumi asked, sighing with exasperation. She tugged on the cages as well, but to no avail. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you use your shadow lance?"

"Good idea," Kouichi said, smiling at the blonde. "Dark Evolution!" He merged with Lowemon and pulled out his lance. "You might want to stand back."

Izumi nodded and ran to the other side of the room, where the rows of cages ended. "Alright, go ahead!"

Kouichi held his lance out to the side, breaking the locks on every cage as he ran past them. He made it to Izumi then turned around, breaking the locks on the other side of the cages.

"We need to get these girls out of here," Kouichi said. "There's so many, though."

"I know…"

"We can help you guys."

Both teens jumped and turned around, surprised to see Zephyrmon and Kazemon in their solid forms.

Zephyrmon looked around. "Since Izumi can fly, Kazemon and I can take care of the girls."

"Kouichi, you stay merged with Lowemon, and I'm sure JagerLowemon wouldn't mind helping us out," Kazemon said.

"But we can't fly," Kouichi said, his lip twitching. "And that's a REALLY huge drop."

"We don't follow the laws of gravity," JagerLowemon said from the side.

Kouichi sweatdropped. "Oh. Right."

**

* * *

**

_Go left._

Kouji stopped and furrowed his eyebrows. "How do you know which way to go?"

_Just trust me. I wouldn't lie to you._

"Right." Kouji listened to Takuya and went down the hallway on the left.

There were several rooms lining the hall, but after taking another turn, he saw one large wooden door at the end of it all, torches on both sides. He crept up to the door, slowly pushing it open and looking around the room.

The entire area was lit by torches, giving it a dim, orange lighting. The room was bare and slightly dirty, with a thin layer of grime and dust on the hardwood floors. It was cold in the room and Kouji had to rub his arms to keep warm.

_Look, there she is._

There was a large birdcage hanging in the middle of the room, raised about five feet off the ground. Inside of it was Keiko, leaning up against the bars, her head bowed down.

"Keiko!" Kouji yelled, running up to the cage. "Keiko, are you okay?"

She turned and looked at him, her cheeks pink and her body shivering. "Y-Yeah," she rasped.

"Oh God, Keiko," he said, looking up at her. "Did they even feed you or give you water?"

She shook her head. "They gave me this shot in my leg… It made me really weak. That's why I couldn't transform."

"They think of everything," Kouji grumbled.

"Please just get me out," she whispered. "I've been stuck up in this cage for a whole day."

"Okay, you'll be out in a second." He merged with Lobomon and jumped up, slicing the lock in half. He went back into his human form and held his arms up. "Come on. I've got you."

The brunette crawled out of the door, dropping down into his arms and gasping when she realized just how weak she really was from lack of food and water.

Kouji stumbled but managed to hold her up. "You're alright." He looked around the room. "I'll get you out of here, Keiko. Just hang on." He lifted the shivering brunette up and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Let's get out of here, okay?"

She nodded.

**

* * *

**

"Junpei, Tomoki!" Kouichi waved the two over. "You find LadyDevimon?"

"She wasn't anywhere," Tomoki said. "You two need some help taking these girls out of here?"

"We've got the majority taken care of. Only about ten left, and I'm pretty sure Zephyrmon and JagerLowemon have that handled."

"I think we should all concentrate on finding LadyDevimon," Izumi said. "We'll have to take her down so she can't do this again."

"No need to come and find me."

The four turned and saw LadyDevimon standing on the deck. "You've really already foiled me plans," she said with a sigh. "So I don't know what the point of killing me is. Besides, who am I to stand up to four Legendary Warriors?"

Izumi narrowed her eyes. "What's stopping you from doing this again?"

LadyDevimon shook her head. "I've decided to just wait for the seal to break. It won't be much longer now, anyways."

It was then that Tomoki stepped up, merged with Korikkakumon. "Sorry, but you won't be able to wait. Avalance Axes!" The twin axes sliced through the air and lodged themselves in her body.

LadyDevimon screamed and choked on her own blood, dropping to the ground and fizzing into nothingness.

"Tomoki, you didn't have to do that!" Junpei cried. "You killed her!"

"It was either that or we let it happen again. And we wouldn't want dear old Michiko to get taken, now would we?"

Just as Junpei was about to reply, the ship rocked forward and began falling out of the sky.

Izumi grabbed onto the side and held on. "Now look what happened! Without LadyDevimon, the ship won't float!"

"Where's Kouji and Keiko?" Kouichi asked.

"I'm sure they'll be alright," Junpei said, merging with Beetlemon. "But right now it's probably best to get off this ship!" He grabbed Kouichi and jumped off. Izumi followed his lead and grabbed Tomoki.

**

* * *

**

The ship rocked and Kouji dropped to his knees. "Shit. Something's going on here." He looked down at Keiko, who was still shaking in his arms. "Shit, we need to get you to a hospital. You look awful. You know what that drug was?"

She tried to shake her head, but it dropped back against her chest and she groaned softly.

"Alright, we're gonna have to jump ship here," he grunted, running up the stairs.

As soon as he got to the deck, he jumped off the ship, holding Keiko close as they flew through the air.

They plummeted to the ground, flying through clouds and he gulped as he saw the city below getting closer. "I hope I can think of something before we hit the ground."

_Well, that's so unlike you. Acting before you think things through._

"Shut UP!"

"Gotcha!"

Kouji gasped when he and Keiko suddenly stopped their descent. He looked up to see Veenomon, smiling happily at the two. "Good thing Keiko had enough energy for me to come out, huh?"

He looked down at said girl, seeing that she was unconscious. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Veenomon nodded as she brought them back down to the ground. "She'll be fine. I can probably heal her right up."

She dropped them off in Keiko's front lawn and she took the brunette out of Kouji's arms. "Great job, Kouji. Finding Keiko, I mean."

Kouji shrugged. "No problem."

"Well, tell Lobomon I say hi!" She smiled and flew up to the fourth floor balcony, opening the door and bringing Keiko inside.

**

* * *

**

"Takuya?" Kouji asked when he was down the block from his house, stopping to sit on a park bench and ignoring the snow coming from the sky.

_Yeah?_

"Are… you still alive?"

Takuya hesitated. _I… I don't think you could call it that._

"I'll still be able to talk to you, right?" Kouji asked, his heart pounding hard.

_After this, I won't be able to… to talk to you again. I'm sorry._

"This is the last time I'll ever talk to you?" Kouji whispered, his eyes widening and filling up with tears.

_Yeah. I'll miss you Kouji. Love you._

"Takuya, wait!" Kouji cried.

There was no reply.

The raven limped back home, and when he opened the door to his and Kouichi's room, his twin jumped up. "You're okay!"

Kouji lowered his eyes and sniffled.

"Kouji, what's wrong?"

The younger twin threw himself at his brother, sobbing into his shoulder. "Kouji, what happened?" Kouichi asked, looking worried. "Is everything alright?"

"Takuya," he managed to choke out and for some reason, Kouichi had an idea of what could've been going on in his twin's mind. He pulled the younger onto the bed and allowed him to cry his heart out into his shirt.

**

* * *

**

"Hey, how're you feeling?"

Keiko smiled at Izumi, who came into the room. "I'm feeling better. But Naoki's convinced that I should stay in bed for the day. Since I was miraculously stolen and rescued in 24 hours."

The blonde giggled and came to sit on the edge of Keiko's bed. "I don't blame him. Look's like Pacino, Sam and Lopmon are keeping a good eye on you, huh?"

The dogs were sleeping on the end of the large bed and Lopmon was curled up with them, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, they are," Keiko said, smiling. "Thank you guys for coming to get me. I just feel bad that I never got to thank Kouji. He carried me all the way out." She buried her face in her hands, her cheeks going pink. "How embarrassing."

Izumi laughed. "He probably didn't mind." She winked. "You hottie."

"You're the one with the boobs," Keiko argued.

"Yeah, well you're the one with the ass."

"You have one too!" Keiko wailed in protest and Izumi giggled.

"It's not like your boobs are tiny, though, Keiko."

"They're tiny compared to yours." The brunette looked down at her own. "You're like, a double D or something."

"I resent that." She frowned playfully. "I'm just a regular D."

"And still growing," Keiko sang.

"Yours are too!" Izumi exclaimed and she got on top of the girl, poking at her boobs. "I bet by next month, you'll be a B cup!"

"Zumi, get off!" Keiko cried, pushing at the girl's shoulders.

The door swung open and the girls gasped and turned towards the entrance to the room.

Saburo's face went pale. "O-Oh, am I interrupting something?" He slammed his hand over his eyes. "Take your time!" He shut the door behind him.

Izumi grinned and rolled off of her friend, laying at her side. "Sometimes I can't believe the shit we get ourselves into."

Keiko's face was red. "Me neither."


	12. Homecoming

Yes, yes, I'm late. But when I'm late, you all know what kind of chapters come out. Ahem. Anyways. Junpei's going to answer your reviews, because he's pissed off that he wasn't in this chapter.

**Review replies to chapter 11:**

**Caliboy: **Yep, Natalie sucks. Poor Kouji. He's really crushed about the whole thing. Natalie's been pretty busy, which would explain the long gap in updates. Thanks a lot for your review, and I hope you like this chapter. Which doesn't have me in it. Ahem.

**EclipseWiccan29: **Natalie's just hoping you liked it! Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter. Even though I'm not in it. Ahem.

**Jennison Silverye: **Actually, that wasn't Natalie's idea. It was EclipseWiccan's. She's pretty genius. (: Kouji can be pretty dumb when it comes to Izumi. Love does make you blind after all. Veenomon really is a doll. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter… Which I'm not in. Ahem.

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Yeah, Kouji's really got it bad for Izumi. Heh. Well, Rude's certainly glad that you like Tamotsu now. He's a good guy. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter. Even though I'm not in it. Ahem.

**Celestial Writer: **I know. I wish we could bring Takuya back too. We all do. Especially Kouji. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter. Where I'm superstitiously absent. Ahem.

**Empyrea: **That's okay, because I'm not in this chapter, so Natalie doesn't deserve a long review, anyway. Ahem.

**D4RKWR173R5: **I'm sure would say something completely generic but I'm gonna say, thank you for using the word uber. It's not used enough. Thanks for the review, and hopefully you enjoy this chapter, but you probably won't since I'm not in it. Ahem.

Gee, thanks, Junpei.

Junpei: Fuck you.

Anyway, my question for this batch of reviews isss:

If you could change one thing about any character, what would it be?

Thanks guys. (:

**Warning: Sexual themes in middle of chapter (mild)**

* * *

"So you've been with Keiko for a year now?" Kenjiro, a boy from Tamotsu's lacrosse team, asked.

"Oh, actually last week was our one year mark," the blonde said, smiling lightly. "We haven't had time to hang out, because we've both been pretty busy. So we're kind of celebrating tonight."

Ebisu, another boy on the team, grinned. "You gotten laid yet?"

Tamotsu narrowed his eyes. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"You haven't, have you?" Ebisu asked, his eyes widening.

Tamotsu rolled his eyes. "Dude, shut up."

"You really haven't, Tamotsu?" Kouji asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, we haven't had sex yet," Tamotsu grumbled.

"Well, shit!" Ebisu began laughing. "You still haven't tapped that ass?"

"Shut _up, _Ebisu."

"I mean, Keiko's pretty fucking hot. You still haven't gotten laid? And it's been a whole year? Shit! Talk about blue balls."

"Let's change the subject," Kenjiro said, laughing awkwardly. "Uh, do you know who's coaching the lacrosse camp?"

"Last I checked it's gonna be Keiji." Tamotsu shivered. "Since he coaches the team."

"Great," Kouji grumbled.

**

* * *

**

"So what time do you get off?" Atsuko asked, leaning over to counter and smiling at Keiko. The café was generally quiet that day, besides the random college student every so often.

"At six," Keiko said as she put fresh pastries on the viewing rack. "We're hanging out late, since I have to work and he's got his first day of lacrosse camp."

"At least it's a Friday night, so the two of you have all the time you guys need."

"Well, knowing Naoki and his wife, I'll probably have to leave within a few hours. Which really sucks, since it's a pretty important day, you know?"

Atsuko nodded. "That really is unfair."

"Well, there's not much I can do about it, but-" Keiko stopped talking when an older man walked in. "Oh, my turn. Sorry." She walked across the room and stopped at his table. "Hello, sir. Can I help you?"

"Yes, is Atsuko working?" he asked in a slightly creepy voice. For some reason, Keiko got a weird feeling around him. He had gray hair and a sick smile on his face.

"Oh, yes, she is. Would you like her to wait on you today, sir?"

The man nodded and his smile grew wider. "Please."

"She'll be right with you." Keiko forced a smile onto her face and flitted off to Atsuko. "That man over there is requesting you."

"Oh, he always does," Atsuko gave Keiko a small smile. "He's loaded and he always tips well."

"Oh!" Keiko smiled back. "Well I guess that's a good thing, then."

Atsuko giggled and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Right. I'll be right back!"

The dark haired brunette headed off to help the man and Keiko pushed a piece of hair behind her ear as she watched.

Atsuko spoke to the man for a couple of minutes, smiling and nodding. The smaller brunette tilted her head to the side when she saw the way the man leered at Atsuko.

_~Weird.~_

**

* * *

**

"How are things with Junpei?" Izumi asked as she ate from her plate of yakisoba. "I feel like we never get the chance to have any girl talk.

Michiko smiled, her brown eyes lighting up slightly, looking compatible with the yellow scarf hanging loosely from her neck. "Everything's been going really well," she said. "We've been together for seven months now, but it feels like it's been so much longer."

"Seven months?" Izumi gawked. "There's no way it's been seven months."

"Well, we got together a few days before Asashi died," Michiko said softly. "So…"

There was a short stretch of silence. Both girls had been close to him (in different ways, of course) and his death was still fresh to them.

"Moving on," the auburn haired girl said softly. "Um, have you spoken with Tomoki recently?"

"You know, I was just going to ask you about that. I've been trying to contact him for a while now, but he won't answer my phone calls or anything. Nothing's wrong, most likely, but I'm starting to get worried. Have… you talked to him?"

Michiko lowered her eyes. "We haven't talked very much since Junpei and I got together. We had that run-in on Halloween, but besides that…"

"Don't you think that's a little bit unfair, though?" Izumi asked quietly. "That you sort of ditched him for your boyfriend?"

"That's not how it is," the girl said. "How would Junpei feel?"

Izumi sighed. "That's not the point."

"Okay." Michiko leaned forward, pushing her bowl of ramen to the side. "What if it were you and Asashi?"

**

* * *

**

"You sore?" Tamotsu asked, grinning sidelong at Kouji, who was walking with him back to the locker room.

"Surprisingly, no," Kouji muttered, opening his locker and tossing his lacrosse stick inside. "You?"

"Nah." Tamotsu threw his inside as well and pulled his shirt off over his head, grimacing at the sweat sticking to his skin. "I'm kind of surprised too. Keiji really worked our asses off today. He seemed even moodier than usual. Weird, huh?"

"Yeah." Kouji kicked his sneakers off. "Well he just moved out of his house, because of that Aya bitch who lives with Keiko now."

"Right." Tamotsu nodded, dropping his shorts and grabbing a towel, wrapping it around his waist. "That probably sucks for him. He and Naoki were really close, you know?"

The raven nodded and wrapped a towel around his waist as well, and walking to the showers with Tamotsu. "But then again, that's no reason for him to take everything out on us."

"You're right. Some people just have different ways of dealing with things," the blonde said, pulling on the shower knob and pushing it off to the side, a spray of warm water coming down a foot in front of him. He dropped his towel, going under the showerhead and sighing as it hit his skin. "Not that it's right."

Kouji sighed as he adjusted his own water temperature. "I actually kind of feel bad for the guy. Obviously he's pretty fucked up from everything that's been going on." He dropped the towel and stepped into the shower. "That's a hell of a bruise you've got there," he commented glibly, pointing to a spot below and to the right of Tamotsu's belly button.

"Huh?" He ran his hand over the blemish. "That was from when you _checked _me."

"Really?" Kouji frowned, pulling his hair out of it's confines. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." Tamotsu squirted some shampoo into his hand, scrubbing it into his blonde hair.

"So." Kouji turned and raised an eyebrow at Tamotsu as he soaped up his chest and stomach. "What're your plans with Keiko tonight?"

"Dinner, then we're going back to my house," he replied.

Kouji smirked. "Are your parents going to be home?"

Tamotsu's lip twitched and his face went red. "My brother is. That's it."

Kouji grinned. "Have fun. Remember what I taught you."

"Can it."

**

* * *

**

By the time six o'clock had rolled around, the weird man was still there. Keiko, despite her weird feeling, decided not to question Atsuko about it any further. It wasn't her business, anyway.

Well, at least it wasn't until Atsuko was cleaning the table up, and the man had moved an arm around to cup her backside, squeezing appreciatively.

The beautiful brunette girl seized up and quickly said goodbye, walking away with a pink blush on her face. The man threw a wad of cash on the table, walking away with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Atsuko," Keiko said softly, taking one of the girl's shaking hands as she attempted to clean off the tray. "Atsuko, are you okay?"

She took a deep breath. "He's never taken it that far before."

The shorter brunette frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He always asks for me, and he always leaves tips that are so big…" She sighed heavily. "And I need the money. To get to college. I… promised myself when I was little that I would pay for it myself."

"That's a wonderful dream," Keiko said. "But at this price… I don't know…"

"I'm sure it won't happen again." She took a deep breath and smoothed down her skirt. "I'm positive. It won't."

"Hey, I'll finish up your table for you, alright?"

The taller brunette smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

**

* * *

**

"How was work?"

Keiko smiled and Tamotsu wrapped an arm around her, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Good. Lacrosse?"

The blonde shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Not bad. Kinda disappointed in you."

Keiko blinked and looked up at him. "Why?"

"Because you changed out of your sexy maid uniform," he said, grinning. "I think that puts me in line for a blowjob."

Keiko laughed lightly. "And maybe more."

Tamotsu stared at the girl. "More?"

"Hmm?"

"You just said something about more."

"No. I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"Hey, look, it's snowing!"

"REALLY?"

**

* * *

**

"I guess I do get it," Izumi murmured. "What you explained in the café makes sense." She laid back on her bed. "I'm sorry I didn't see it earlier."

Michiko sighed softly. "I just don't want everybody to think I'm a monster. I… I thought Tomoki would be over me by now, I guess."

"You're not a monster," Izumi said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't think that."

"I just don't want anybody to get hurt," Michiko whispered, sighing shakily. "I feel terrible every day."

Izumi's heart went out to the girl. The blonde thought that the entire time, Michiko didn't care about the way Tomoki felt. But it was obvious she did. To obvious. And she felt like a jerk. Michiko was one of the most genuinely nice girls she'd ever met. Why would she even think the girl would do something so terrible?

"I… I think I want to call Tomoki," she said softly. "Would you stay with me while I do it?"

Izumi nodded slowly.

**

* * *

**

"You didn't even open up your gift," Keiko murmured against Tamotsu's lips, pulling his shirt off over his head.

"You're enough for now," he replied, dropping onto the bed with the girl.

"You should really open it." Keiko pushed him away lightly, pointing to the yellow bag on his bedside table. "Then we can get back to business."

Tamotsu nodded, rubbing her arm. "Sorry, doll. Didn't mean to get carried away there."

She shrugged. "It's fine."

"Let me get your gift first…" The blonde walked out of the room, running down the hall.

Keiko's heart was pounding. What if he didn't like his gift? What if he thought she was a freak?

"Here," he said, handing her a bouquet of yellow and pink roses.

She took it in her hands, her eyes widening. "T-Tamotsu, I-"

"I… I know it's nothing huge or expensive or… It's just flowers. But I know that you love flowers, and I saw that picture on the bedside table of that field of flowers, and I thought since it meant so much to you, that I'd get you a bouquet of flowers the same color. Yeah, it's really dumb, I know, but-"

She wrapped her arms around him. "No. They're perfect. Thank you so much."

They were the colors of the flowers in the field where she played with Ayame.

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Can I open mine?"

Keiko nodded and handed him the bag. "Don't laugh at me."

"Why would I?" He quirked an eyebrow at the girl.

Keiko took a deep breath and held it while Tamotsu looked into the bag, his eyes going wide. Slowly, one by one, he pulled out each thing inside of the bag.

KY: His and Hers, ribbed condoms and massage oil.

He stared at her. "Keiko?"

The brunette crawled across the bed, kissing his neck lightly and pressing their chests together, her legs straddling his. "You up for it?"

He wrapped his arms around her and nodded. "Definitely."

**

* * *

**

"Ready?" Tamotsu looked nervous, and that puzzled Keiko. He'd always been confident in himself, so why was he suddenly acting like this? Hell, she wasn't even nervous.

She never was with him.

"What's the matter?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he confessed softly, his hand carding through her hair. "Because… I love you."

It was as if every single moment in her life had dulled in comparison to this very one. Her heart felt like it was going to burst, and as cliché as it sounded, she was so happy she wanted to cry.

She pulled him close to her, pushing her face into his shoulder and taking him in all at once. "I love you too."

And he pushed in, slowly and carefully, doing his best not to cause the brunette underneath him any pain.

Everything about it was _perfect_, like she'd read about in books and dreamed about. _He _was perfect. The way he would gasp and sigh into her ear, and press butterfly kisses along her jaw, murmuring to her how good she felt and how perfect it all was. Perfect.

Nothing else mattered in her mind at that moment in time, not Naoki or Aya or her parents or her little sister. All that mattered was his smooth skin and his hard abs rubbing against her own flat stomach.

Her orgasm was blissful, and it sent her spinning to the ground. Honestly, she hadn't expected to come her first time. It just didn't work like that, right?

And she just watched him as he became more undone, thrusting in gently despite his want to pound into her. It was gentle and with one final piteous moan, he dropped his face into her neck and cried out, _convulsing _in her arms.

She held onto him until he pulled out and rolled onto her side, still coming down from the high.

After several minutes of silence, she spoke.

"You okay?"

He smiled and turned to her, his hair wet and his cheeks an endearing pink. "I should be asking you that."

"I'm good," she said, staring up at the ceiling and pulling the sheets up around her body. "It wasn't really what I had expected."

He sat up, the sheets pooling around his hips. "Are you hurt?"

She stared at the light trail of blonde hair going down from below his belly button to his… Sigh. Blocked by the sheets.

"No," she answered. "I mean, it was better than I expected." She smiled at him. "A lot better."

Tamotsu grinned and flopped back down onto the bed, burying his face into his pillow. "Good. I was worried the whole time."

"You didn't hurt me," she said.

"Are you calling me small?" He winked at her.

"Not at all." She scooted closer to her and rubbed his hip. "You're not _small _at all, which is why I'm so surprised."

"You're such a dear," he said, kissing her on the tip of her nose. "Really."

She smiled and kissed him. _~I love this amazing person. And he's all mine.~_

**

* * *

**

"Tomoki?"

"_Michiko?"_

"Um, yeah," the auburn haired girl said softly. "It's me."

"_Why are you calling me?"_

"I… need to say something to you." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"_Look, I-"_

"No. Let me talk."

Silence on the other end.

"I… I never meant to abandon you like that. I didn't want to hurt you, and I didn't want to hurt Junpei. But… that doesn't justify what I did. I'm sorry that I never gave you a chance, and-"

"_Are you just apologizing because you broke up with Junpei or something, and you want somebody else to fuck?"_

Izumi gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. The phone was on speaker, and she'd heard everything.

"_You're too late. You're months too late, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. And you just decide you want to apologize now? You've hurt me enough Michiko. Just leave me alone, okay?"_

He hung up.

Slowly, Michiko hung the phone up, taking a deep breath. "I'm the worst person ever," she said quietly.

Izumi shook her head. "You did something extremely brave. You should be proud of yourself."

"How can I be? How can I be proud when I just hurt somebody?"

"I don't know… But if it means anything, I'm proud of you," Izumi said, squeezing Michiko's hand.

The girl gave her a watery-eyed smile. "Thank you."

**

* * *

**

"Somebody just got laid."

"Shut up, Saburo," Keiko grumbled.

"You sore?" her brother asked, smiling sympathetically at her.

"Not really. Even though my hymen just got shattered like the Death Star."

"Ew." Akira blanched, his eyes not leaving his book.

"I know."

"You okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "It was better than I could've imagined."

"My little sister is growing up."

And to the siblings' horror, Aya came walking in, her eyes wide. "Keiko, you didn't."

The brunette said nothing, too shocked to speak.

The woman walked out of the living room, heading upstairs, and with a looming horror, Keiko realized she was going to Naoki's office.

Saburo stared at Keiko, looking _angry_. And Saburo wasn't that type. "That fucking _bitch._" He got up and headed towards the stairs.

"Hey, where're you going?" Akira asked, setting his book off to the side. "Sab-"

"I'm so sick of her," the brunette snapped. "I'm not going to take this any longer."

"Saburo, wait!" Keiko exclaimed, jumping off the couch and following him up the stairs, Akira right behind her. "Don't do this, I can take care of myself."

Her brother said nothing, stalking right down to the office and throwing the door open. "You _fucker_."

"He had to know," Aya said, staring at Keiko, who was behind Saburo. "He needed to know."

Naoki was silent, looking at Saburo, Aya, then Keiko. She didn't really know what to make of his expression.

"You didn't need to go and fucking tattle on her!" Saburo yelled. "It wasn't like this was some random guy she just met, this was her fucking boyfriend of a year!"

"No fifteen year old girl needs to have sex," Aya snapped.

"I was fifteen when I had sex!" Saburo announced. "I had sex with my boyfriend! Keiji was fifteen too! You don't just go around passing judgment on people! You don't know shit about anything besides Naoki! You don't even care about us!"

"Saburo, enough," Naoki said.

"Shut up! I'm so tired of just sitting around, saying nothing! I'm done with it! Aya fucking ran Keiji out of our house, she ruined everything!"

"Enough, Saburo."

"We were all finally repairing ourselves, and then Aya has to come in!" Saburo was hysterical at this point. "You ruined everything you fucking satanic piece of _**shit!**_"

A slap echoed through the house, and Saburo stumbled back from the sheer force of it.

Naoki had just slapped Saburo.

Akira grabbed onto his boyfriend, his arm around his shoulder. Aya was crying pitifully into her hands. Naoki was shaking, his eyes wide and his mouth agape as he stared at his own hand. "Oh God. I'm so sorry, Saburo, I didn't-"

"You're just like him," the youngest male Takishita murmured. "You're fucking just like dad."

Naoki said nothing. He just stared at his brother, looking like her was ready to scream or cry or a combination of the two.

Akira took Saburo out of the room.

Keiko just stood there in the middle of it all, hearing Aya's sobs, watching Naoki go over the situation in his mind. And she realized just then how fucked up everything had become.

**

* * *

**

"You're really coming back for good?" Keiko asked, staring at Keiji, who was unpacking his things back into his old room. It was around three in the morning. Keiko had called her brother after everything had happened, and now he was here, moving back in.

"I can't believe I fucking left in the first place," he muttered angrily. "I'm sorry."

"What about Ayaka?"

"She's moving in the day after tomorrow. I wanted to give her the chance to get her things. I couldn't wait another day to get here though. I can't leave you guys with them."

"I can't believe it really happened. Dad's the person Naoki wants to be the least like, you know?"

Keiji nodded and looked at his sister. "That's what scares me the most."

It was at that moment that Saburo came walking in, a bruise on his cheek, which was swollen. "What're you going here?"

Keiji took one look at his brother, and immediately the side that only Saburo had seen himself came out. The older of the two walked over and took his brother's chin into his hand, turning his head. "Shit. He really did a number on you."

"I know." Saburo sighed dejectedly. "Never thought the day would come."

"Same here."

"It's been a really long night," Keiko said, seeing that the two needed time alone. "I'm going to bed."

"I bet it was for you," Keiji said. "First you work for three hours, then you lose your virginity, then-"

"Wait, how do you know that?" Keiko demanded.

"I fucking know everything."

"Right, I forgot." Keiko rolled her eyes. "Goodnight."

She didn't sleep.

**

* * *

**

Aaaand thaat ends the Takishita Arc. Now we move into the next arc:

Asashi and Ayame Arc.

Oh, and because I love you all so much, it's five in the fucking morning. Just cause I love you all so goddamn much. Read and review and don't forget to answer that question. (:


	13. Helpless

**Review replies to chapter 12:**

**Celestial Writer: **Lmfao, that bitch slap thing made me laugh. Poor Michiko. She's too cute. And Keiko and Tamotsu finally banged (or is it bung? xD)! Yay! Thank you for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **I don't like it when we fight, either.

**Caliboy: **Poor Takky. D: I'm excited for this arc too. I actually liked this chapter a lot, so I'm hoping you do too. Thank you very much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **WOW, LONG REVIEW! I promise I'll do my best to incorporate the other characters more. Kouichi and Kouji are going to be the main guys in the next chapter. :D Aya's so rude. I'm glad my sister-in-law/step mom/whatever you want to call her isn't like that. Thanks so much for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **Junpei wasn't in it just because I couldn't get him in. D: Yeah, Aya's REALLY rude. Not cool! Thank you for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**ThankfulMemories: **I'd have to agree with you on that one. Thanks for the review, and enjoy this chapter! :D

**Sekangel88: **Hooray, a new reviewer! :D Wow, it made you cry! That's an amazing compliment! :D I totally get what you mean, but Kouji's character is the suppressing type. Soon enough he'll blow. D: Thank you for the review, and I hope you like this chapter!

Sooo, this is unbetaed. Just warning ya. xD

**

* * *

**

This chapter is dedicated to Morgan. Because even though we can both be complete bitches to each other, we still love each other.

**

* * *

**

"_Are you gonna get married when you get older?"_

_Keiko looked to her sister, blinking. "When I'm all grown up?"_

"_When you're all grown up."_

_Keiko nodded. "I think I am. And I'm gonna have a little baby girl and boy and I'm gonna name them Hiro and Shino."_

_Ayame giggled, grinning. "I'm gonna get married to the handsomest man on the planet. He's gonna look like daddy, except younger."_

"_My husband's gonna look like Tamotsu. He's gonna be taller than me, and he's going to drive the car."_

"_When I get married, __**I'm **__gonna drive."_

"_Why? The boy has to drive, I thought."_

"_Nope, I've been in the car with mommy and daddy before, and she was driving. So when I get married, I'm gonna be the driver."_

"_You think I'll be able to drive sometimes, too?"_

_Ayame nodded. "Any time you want."_

**

* * *

**

"Come on, Keiko. Wake up. Class is over."

Keiko slowly opened an eyelid, finding Kouji standing there, shaking her arm lightly. "You fell asleep during class. Maybe you should go home."

"I don't want to," Keiko said, standing up and thanking Kouji when he handed over her bag. "The day's almost over. Just lunch and gym class."

"You look like shit."

"It's fine. Two more classes. I'll be okay."

"Whatever."

The two walked down the hall together, Keiko looking awkwardly at the walls. He was in a bad mood. And when Kouji was in a bad mood, it was like the planets were all out of whack.

"So, how's lacrosse camp?"

"Fine."

"Just fine? You don't have anything else to say?"

"Nope."

"What's with you today?" They stopped at the raven's locker, and he grabbed his and Keiko's bento boxes. They'd made a deal that they should just put them in together, rather than stopping at two different lockers. "You're acting more broody than usual."

Kouji rolled his eyes, shutting his locker and handing the girl her lunch. "I'm tired, okay?"

"From lacrosse?" They headed to the cafeteria.

"Hn. Yeah, I guess. Other stuff too."

"Hey, is there something you're not telling me, Kouji? Something wrong?"

The raven took a deep breath and stopped, leaning against a wall. "Remember how you got taken by LadyDevimon a couple weeks ago? And… remember how I was the one who found you?"

Keiko nodded slowly. "Yeah, I remember."

"I… was hearing a voice that was telling me where to go. It was Takuya."

The brunette face visibly brightened. "_Really? _So he's still alive?"

Kouji sighed. "No. He told me that he wanted to say goodbye. He's… not coming back."

Keiko's eyes softened and she lowered her eyes. "Oh."

"Yeah. He said he loved me."

Keiko smiled. "He still does."

Kouji nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know."

"Hey, I'm starving," Keiko said, breaking the silence. She rubbed her stomach. "You wanna go to lunch? I'm really about to keel over right about now."

"Hn. Let's go."

**

* * *

**

"This is the dumbest game ever," Izumi grumbled. "You're like a couple of idiots."

"Hey, Kouji vs. Tamotsu week is back on," the latter said, grinning.

"Last I checked, it was only a day," Keiko muttered.

"Yeah, well rules change."

"Shut up Johnny Yong Bosch."

The blonde's face twisted. "_What_?"

"It's who you sound like," Junpei commented. "Keiko's doing that thing again. Where she calls us voice actor's names. Or their characters."

"Oh." Tamotsu blinked and looked at his girlfriend. "Then in that case, I should call you-"

"Hey, are we doing this or not?" Kouji demanded, tapping his piece of notebook paper, which was face down. "Come on."

"Oh, right." Tamotsu cleared his throat and flipped his paper over. "Bra sizes. Izumi: 34D. Michiko: 36B. Keiko: 34B. Atsuko: 32C."

Kouji flipped his paper over as well. "Izumi: 36D. Michiko: 34B. Keiko: 30AAA-"

"Hey!"

"Just kidding. 38A."

Keiko harrumphed.

"And Atsuko: 34C."

"Kouji got mine right," Izumi said.

"He got mine too," Michiko said, smiling lightly.

"And Tamotsu got mine," Atsuko said.

"Same." Keiko blinked.

"So… it's a tie," Kouichi said. "Just like the hug competition."

"I still don't believe that you got 93 hugs, Kouji," Tamotsu said. "The same number as me. You must've counted wrong."

"Or maybe you're the one who counted wrong," Kouji countered, raising an eyebrow. "Because I'm fucking prime."

"I'm definitely hotter than you, man," the blonde said. "My voice is, too."

"Yeah, he's Johnny Yong Bosch, after all," Izumi said, smiling.

"But Kouji's Steve Staley," Keiko said.

"Shut _up_." Kouji glared at the girl.

"Yeah, babe. Who's side are you on?" Tamotsu looked like a kicked puppy.

"Steve Staley's Neji and Kadaj," Keiko said. "Hard act to follow."

"Yeah, well Johnny Yong Bosch is fucking Lelouch and Ichigo. That's pretty kick ass."

Junpei nodded. "Yeah, you really can't beat that."

"See?" Tamotsu grinned. "What's the next competition?"

"Next competition. The kissing competition. Uh, you two need to kiss each other. And see who comes out as the seme," Junpei said.

"Who made that one up?" Atsuko asked.

Izumi raised her hand, grinning brightly. "Me!"

"We are _not _kissing," Tamotsu said bluntly.

"What, you're afraid of converting?" Michiko grinned.

"And last I checked, Kouji, aren't you bisexual?" Izumi asked.

He glared. "I like girls a lot better. And I prefer the term 'flexible'."

"You're bisexual?" Atsuko asked, her eyes wide. "God, what else are you people hiding?"

"Webbed feet."

"I lay eggs."

"I'm not a guy."

Laughter erupted from the table.

**

* * *

**

"Hey, isn't that-"

"Yeah, it is."

Katsuharu sighed and looked over at Tomoki, who was fiddling idly with his drink. "Maybe we should leave. If they're going to be here."

Chiaki nodded, blowing a loose piece of brown hair out of her eye. "It's only going to do you worse, seeing them together like that, you know."

"Well, I need to get over it eventually," Tomoki muttered.

"Not like this," Chiaki said gently, putting a hand on top of Tomoki's. Katsuharu glared. "Not by forcing yourself to see them together. That's causing you more pain."

Teppei nodded in agreement. "Hey, I just say we get out of here. We can head to my place, and-"

"If Tomoki says he wants to stay, we'll stay," Katsuharu snapped. "Quit bugging him."

Chiaki took her hand off of Tomoki's, lowering her eyes. "Sorry."

**

* * *

**

"Happy birthday, Asashi," Tamotsu said softly, dropping a single flower onto his best friend's grave. "You're sixteen now, huh? Time flies."

He sighed and sat down in the snow, leaning against the gravestone. "When we were little, we always used to tell each other that we'd be the coolest kids in school, and the best lacrosse players to ever walk through the doors of Shibuya High."

The blonde took a deep breath, staring into the whiteness of the snow. "But I guess that can't happen now, can it?" He smiled. "Sorry that I haven't come to visit your grave until now. It hurt too much I guess. Hell… it hurts too much to even see your picture. I'm sorry."

Tamotsu ran a gloved hand through his hair. "It's weird. Texting your best friend one minute, and the next thing you know, your dad's at the side of your bed, telling you that said best friend's gone. I… I don't cry very much. But when dad told me that…" He looked up to the sky. "All I wanted to _do _was cry. And I did. I felt like such a baby, dad sitting there holding me while I tried to breathe. But more than anything, I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do. You were already gone. I couldn't stop anything from happening."

"_Tamotsu, wake up."_

_The blonde groaned softly and turned over, ready to grumble something at his dad, but at the look on his face, he froze completely. "Dad…?"_

"_There's been an accident. Asashi was hit by a car."_

"_Oh God." He sat up straight, his eyes wide. "Is he okay?"_

_His father shook his head. "No. He's dead, Tamotsu."_

_It had to be a joke. A cruel, sick, twisted fucking joke. Asashi couldn't be dead. He'd just been texting him a few hours ago…_

"_What?"_

"_He's dead. I'm sorry, Tamotsu."_

_And the floodgates broke. The blonde threw himself at his father, sobbing into his shirt and wrapping shaking arms around him. His father just held onto him, stroking his hair, whispering into his ear._

_He kept shaking his head, wishing everything were untrue, but it was the past, and the past was the past and this was the present. Nothing that happens in the present can change the past._

_And there was nothing he could do._

_So he stopped crying._

He sniffled. "And something that tears me up even now, is the way I felt at the funeral and at school after everything was through… It was pretty common knowledge that you and Izumi were together when you died… Everybody flocked around _her _when you died. Not me. Her. Her and Michiko. I was mad because… everybody was pitying her for her loss. She knew you for a year or two… I knew you for twelve. I don't know why I let myself get like that. I really don't."

_Tamotsu was back in school as quickly as he could manage. He tried to ignore all the looks he'd get from teachers and students, and all the whispers he's hear behind his back. He just kept going through the day. He just wanted everything to be normal again._

_It'd pissed him off for some reason that was absolutely selfish in his mind when Izumi had come back to school, and everybody had crowded around her, showing sympathy and giving her cards._

_Wasn't he the one who'd just lost his best friend?_

_The only person that had seemed to understand him besides Michiko was Kouji, who was honestly the last person he'd expected would get him. He knew Kouji loved Izumi. Hell, he probably knew that before Kouji even knew it._

_The raven hadn't tiptoed around anything with him. He'd given him a hug and quietly gave the blonde his condolences. Which was the most he'd received out of anybody, really._

_And it meant so much._

_It almost made him cry. But he didn't want to cry anymore. He wanted to move on._

"Even now, I still have trouble believing it all happened." Tamotsu sighed softly. "I thought we were gonna go to college together and party and get drunk and… Fuck." Tamotsu took a deep breath. "Why the fuck did you have to go? Why'd you have to leave me like that? I wouldn't have done that to you. I would've fucking held on for you, Asashi. Why'd you have to leave me?"

And for the first time since the funeral, tears dripped down his cheeks. "You were going to be the best lacrosse player in Tokyo. You were going to be a fucking acrobat." He scrubbed at his cheeks. "You were going to be my best man at my wedding. You were going to have my fucking back." He leaned forward, tears falling into the snow. "We were gonna grow old together, and we were gonna _live._"

And he cried.

He didn't stop until the sun was beginning to go down and the snow was steadily falling.

He wasn't sure how long he was there, but he forced himself to stop. Crying wasn't going to help anything. So he stood up, staring at the gravestone, rubbing his eyes. "You're probably laughing at me, wherever you are. Maybe you're living another life already. I don't know." He sniffled. "But… in the last year that you've been gone, I promised myself something." Another sniffle.

"I'm going to be the best lacrosse player Shibuya High's ever seen. For you. Since we can't do it together anymore, I figured that maybe you'll be able to see it happen, if you can, that is." He swallowed. "I'm… sorry I broke down like that. It's just overwhelming, you know?" He blinked and stared at the rose, which was buried under a layer of frost. "Didn't mean to do that."

He cleared his throat. "But I wanted to let you know about that… My promise. And I needed to tell you a few things on top of that. Sorry I talked your ear off." The wind blew through his hair, and he couldn't help but be reminded of those times when Asashi ruffle his hair, like he was a little kid.

"I… I want to be the proof that you were here. I won't let anyone forget. But most of all, I won't forget." He nodded slowly. "I promise."

The wind picked up again, and it made his heart warm, even though the cold was wrapping around his body. "Thank you, Asashi. For everything."

**

* * *

**

"Are you nervous, Izumi?" Keiko asked, smiling at the blonde as she sat in the waiting room chair.

"No, not really. I'll just be sore for a few days."

"Too bad your parents couldn't come, huh?" Keiko gestured to Keiji. "Sorry about him, he's not really a morning person."

"Shut. Up," Keiji snapped from his chair.

"I just feel guilty for dragging you guys out here for this and having to stay with you guys for a whole week. My parents didn't realize that they were both going to be out during my surgery."

"That's okay. I'm happy I can be here for you." Keiko looked around. "God, I think I'm more nervous than you are."

"Because you're afraid of the dentist," Keiji muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"No I'm not." Keiko glared at her brother. "Yeah, you're the one who wouldn't get out of the car when you had to get a filling."

"I don't like laughing gas." The man crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. "Sue me."

Izumi giggled. "You guys are too much."

A nurse came out from behind a door, smiling lightly. "Orimoto Izumi?"

The blonde stood up, smiling at the two brunettes. "Well, wish me luck. See you in a little bit."

"Good luck," Keiko said, smiling.

Once the two left, Keiji turned and looked at his sister, who was texting somebody on her cell phone. "Hey, Keiko?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't you think it's weird that Izumi's parents aren't here today?"

Keiko shrugged. "Not really. They just had some scheduling conflicts. They're busy people."

"I get that," he said, turning to face her. "But have you ever even met her parents more than once? They weren't even at Asashi's funeral, you said."

Keiko blinked. "I never really thought of that. They travel a lot for their work. Izumi usually has the house to herself."

"Odd." Keiji turned and took a magazine off the little table in front of them, flipping it open. "Have you ever talked to her about it?"

"I guess I haven't put much thought into it. We don't really talk about her parents, or mine for that matter."

"Or Ayame."

Keiko nodded slowly. "Or Ayame."

"When do you plan on telling people about that? You can't hide it forever, you know."

"I know." Keiko sighed. "Kouichi found out."

Keiji raised an eyebrow. "Really."

She nodded. "We were supposed to talk about it, but some stuff came up."

"Hiding shit about your life isn't helping anybody. Not even yourself."

"I know… I think I should tell him soon."

"Set a date. Make it so you have to."

"Right. Next Friday?"

Keiji nodded. "Sounds fair."

"Is it alright if he comes over that night?"

"You know you don't have to ask. I'm not a crazy psycho bitch, remember?" He smirked. "And my girlfriend isn't either."

Ayaka sneezed elsewhere.

Keiko's lip twitched. She'd never heard Keiji refer to Naoki as a bitch before. It was… different. "Nice."

"When Izumi starts feeling better, let's all go out to dinner," he said randomly. "I want to spend some fucking money on amazing food."

"You're so weird." Keiko glanced at her phone. "Tamotsu says hi."

"Tell him to suck my cock."

"I'll let him know you say hi back."

"Great."

**

* * *

**

"I can't wait until the spring," Michiko said, taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

"I don't know. I kind of like the cold." Junpei shifted behind her, pulling the blanket tighter around them. She was seated between his legs, up against his chest. Body heat was the best way to get warmed up, after all.

"Why's that?" Michiko asked, puzzled.

"I don't know what it is. It's comforting for me, I guess." He shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Not sure why."

Michiko smiled back and laid her head against his chest, taking a deep breath and deciding that she needed to tell him.

"I talked to Tomoki the other day."

Junpei was silent for several seconds, obviously surprised. "…What?"

"I… felt like I should call him. I kind of ruined your guys' friendship."

"You didn't ruin anything, Michiko," he said, narrowing his eyes. "He was the one who stopped speaking to me after we got together."

The auburn haired girl stared at her boyfriend. "Didn't… you try to talk to him at all after?"

"No, I didn't."

Michiko looked confused. "I… but I thought you did."

"Neither of us made the effort. It wasn't just you."

_~The whole time, it wasn't even…~_

"Why did you even try, though? How could you just throw away your friendship?"

Junpei sighed. "I don't want to talk about it right now, Michiko."

"Stop trying to evade everything." Michiko moved away, going back to sit on her haunches. "Talk to me. I just want to know. Why didn't you say anything to him?"

"Because you made it pretty clear that you didn't want anything to do with him. What was I supposed to do? It wasn't my job to wipe his tears up."

The girl blinked. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Junpei moved forward, resting a hand on her shoulder. "How long's this been bothering you?"

She shrugged. "A while, I guess."

"God, baby, talk to me when you're feeling hurt, okay?" He kissed her on the forehead.

She smiled and buried her face into his neck. "Okay."

**

* * *

**

"I don't even feel _any_thing," Izumi slurred, her face pressed against the window, drool coming out of the side of her mouth. "They said I did _so _good. Did I do good?"

"You did really well Izumi," Keiko said, smiling at her friend.

"You feeling okay?"

"I feel great. I feel so good."

"Good."

"I wanna sleep in Keiji's bed."

The brunette driving furrowed his eyebrows. "The fuck?"

Keiko blinked. "Izumi, you're going to stay in the guest room, remember?"

"No. I want to be in Keiji's bed. Just me and Ayaka and Pacino."

"Pacino can sleep in the guest room with you, how's that?" Keiko asked, smiling weakly.

"Okay."

Keiji pulled into the driveway, sighing as he turned the car off. "I'll get Izumi. You wanna get her bags?"

"Yeah, I got 'em." Keiko popped the trunk open and pulled out Izumi's suitcase and purse. "You have her?"

"Yep." Keiji got the blonde to clamber onto his back. "If she fucking drools on me…"

"I don't drool," Izumi snapped.

Saburo and Akira were eating breakfast in the kitchen when the trio came walking in. "How'd it go Izumi?" Akira asked. "You feel okay?"

"I didn't even _feel _it. You guys should try it."

"Already got mine out last year," Saburo said, smiling. "No thanks."

"Aww."

"Oh, Ayaka called, Keiji," the brunette said, ignoring Izumi. "She said she'll be in this afternoon."

"Cool." Keiji walked through the kitchen. "I'll call her in a minute."

"I don't really care."

"Shut up," Keiji grumbled as he clambered up the stairs.

Keiko had already put Izumi's bags in the closet by the time Keiji got her into the bed.

The blonde immediately buried her face into the clean sheets and burrowed under the comforter.

"Kouji and Kouichi were gonna come visit her, but I'm pretty sure she'll sleep through the whole day," Keiko said, coming up next to her brother.

"Dude, why are Kouji and Kouichi always around each other? It's so weird. They look alike, too."

"Are you serious?" Keiko stared at him. "They're brothers. Twins."

"No they're not," Keiji said incredulously. "Seriously?"

"I can't believe you didn't know that." Keiko laughed. "You're so stupid."

"Keiko, can you close the curtains?" Izumi asked softly. "The sun's hurting my eyes."

The brunette nodded and did as she was asked. "I hope you feel better, Izumi. If you need anything, just ask."

"I'll bring some ice up for you later," Keiji added. "We'll see if you can eat later."

"Thank you both," Izumi called as the siblings walked out turned off the lights, shutting the door behind them.

"You got your wisdom teeth out, right?" Keiko asked.

"Yeah." Keiji nodded. "You probably have to get yours out pretty soon. I'll make you an appointment for the dentist to see what he says."

Keiko whimpered. "Keiji…"

"Would you rather have them mess up your teeth and get braces?"

"No…"

"We'll wait until the summer, how's that sound?"

Keiko smiled. "Thank you, Keiji."

"Yeah, I'm a saint."

And after all he'd done for her in the last few years, she really believed he was.

**

* * *

**

So, the whole wisdom teeth thing is in this because I just got mine out about a week ago. No, I wasn't loopy like THAT. Actually, I didn't even want to talk, because I didn't want to say something that my dad would make fun of me for later. LOL.

And again, I'm updating at five in the morning. Joy.

OH, AND I PROMISE MY BABY DOLL KOUICHI WILL BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER FINALLY! SORRY!

Thank you all for reading. :D


	14. Odd Man Out

OMG GUYS! GirlsLikeeBoys is writing an alternate story to this fic. It's a sequel to Digiomn Frontier Refreshed and it's a 'what if' story about what everything would be like if Takuya and the gang lost contact. If you haven't already checked it, totally do it, and review. It's AMAZING! :D

*Sigh* I'll admit. I've been neglecting you KouKei lovers out there. So I'm giving them some shit in this chapter. Yeah, yeah. You're welcome. :D

Oh, and ah have a new poll up! :D

UNBETAED CHAPTER! D:

**Review replies to chapter 13 (Sorry, but they're gonna be short. I'm exhausted!):**

**D4RKWR173R5: **I'm glad you liked that part. And I know, poor Tamotsu. D: Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter. (:

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **You know it's true mayne. :D And I know that you're in love with Izumi. It's so hard to watch you get your heart broken. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter. :D

**Caliboy: **Poor Tamotsu. D: He's so sad. That's okay, and I hope you have fun. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**ThankfulMemories: **Oh, he'll be back, I promise. (; They're actually not official yet, but they're talking. :D And I didn't want to completely one-up Tamotsu. xD Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **Tamotsu's so sad. Poor thing. And Junpei's a douche bag. :D Izumi'll be a good girl, don't worry. :D Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **Actually I was right on time. It probably just seemed early because I'm usually late! :D I feel bad for Tamotsu too. D: And Tomoki's gonna be in this chapter too! Thanks for your review, and I hope you like this chapter. :D

**Empyrea: **I loved writing that part. Poor Tamotsu. D: Thanks for your review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

So for my question this time, I'd like to know who your favorite male character in this story is. Thanks! :D

**

* * *

**

"_Ayame, you shouldn't climb so high up!" Keiko called from the bottom of the large oak tree. "It's way too tall!"_

"_It's okay, Keiko!" the blonde called back, grinning down at her sister. "I'm very good at trees!"_

"What exactly are we looking for?" Kouji asked, walking down the aisle with Keiko and surprising her out of her reverie.

"Um, anything that looks scary," Keiko replied. "Saburo and Akira are getting a comedy, so they said we could grab something too."

"Hn." Kouji looked at a disc case. "Rated R for nudity, sex, language, bloody violence and disturbing scenes of terror."

"Umm." Keiko walked over and pushed the case away, smiling up at him. "Too much."

He rolled his eyes. "What exactly is too much?"

"Well, if it's more of a softcore porno, it's kind of awkward to watch with Izumi around, right? I'm just looking out for you."

Wow. That was nice of her. "You're right."

She smiled and traveled down the aisle. "Actually, Keiji said he saw this one movie with Ayaka, and it was all girls."

Kouji raised an eyebrow.

"No girl-on-girl, though," she said quickly, her face going red.

Kouji smirked at the girl's expense. "Maybe you're hiding it from us. You're secretly a freak."

She sputtered, pointing accusingly at him. "No! You're the one who likes guys, apparently, remember?"

Kouji crossed his arms over his chest. "Not really, Keiko. I'm emotionally and sexually attracted to girls. Only sexually to guys."

"Why wouldn't you tell me?" Keiko asked, pouting. "I wouldn't have told anyone."

"I know." He sighed. "Thought you'd think I'm weird."

She gawked. "I live under the same roof as two gay guys, an ex-alcoholic and a perfectionist-workaholic. Do you really think I'd think you're weird?"

He smirked. "Guess not."

She smiled back at him and then picked up another movie. "The Descent. This was the one, I think. You wanna watch it?"

Kouji looked over her shoulder. "Sure."

She nodded and the two began to look around the aisles for Saburo and Akira. Kouji was surprised when Keiko grabbed his sleeve "Kouji?"

The raven looked down to the brunette. "Yeah?"

"Umm. I just… I wanted to let you know that you're… too good for that drinking and hooking up thing. I just thought you should know that. That I'm glad you stopped, I mean." She blushed and pulled her hand away. "I don't think I ever told you that."

He gave her a genuine smile. Not one of his half smirks, but an actual smile. "Thank you Keiko. Really."

She smiled back and pushed her face into his jacket. "You're welcome." She moved away. "C'mon. Let's go find Saburo and Akira."

He nodded. "Right."

**

* * *

**

"We're back!" Keiko called, Kouji behind her as the two came into Keiko's living room, where Izumi and Kouichi were waiting, Mister Boots laying on the back of the couch, purring. "And we got our movie!"

"I just took my medicine," Izumi said softly. "So hopefully my teeth won't hurt at all through the movie."

"Hey, where's Salamon and Lopmon?" Kouichi asked as Keiko took a seat next to him and Kouji got on her other side.

"They're both upstairs. Neither feels very well. Weird, huh?" the brunette shrugged lightly.

"Yeah, that is pretty odd," Kouichi murmured.

"Oh, hey, do any of you want some popcorn or something?" Keiko asked, standing up. "I was gonna grab some soda and Izumi's ice anyway."

"Could I have a soda please?" Kouichi asked.

"I'm good," Kouji muttered, standing and heading to Keiko's DVD player, used to it by this point.

"Just the ice," Izumi murmured, pulling the blanket closer to her. "God, Keiko. Your house is always so cold."

"I'll grab some blankets too," the brunette said, walking out of the room. "Be right back."

Kouji sat back on the couch, leaving a space between Kouichi and himself for Keiko. He'd _wanted _to sit next to Izumi, but she was leaning against the arm of the couch, and Kouichi was next to her. Oh well. He'd have other opportunities, right?

"What movie did you guys end up getting?" Kouichi asked curiously.

"The Descent. It's about some chicks who get trapped in an underground cave."

"Ooh." Izumi shivered. "Creepy. Kind of reminds me of the cave me, Takuya, Tomoki, Junpei and Keiko were trapped inside of during the Digital World."

"I remember hearing about that," Kouji said. "Tomoki was very animated when he told us about that."

Kouichi smiled reminiscently. "Tomoki…"

"We really screwed up, didn't we?" Izumi asked softly. "We're supposed to be his friends, and…" She sighed. "If only Takuya were here. He'd know what to do."

For some reason, that stung Kouji. Why wasn't he good enough to fix it?

Oh, right. Because he hadn't yet.

"Alright, I've got everything!" Keiko exclaimed, smiling happily as she somehow dragged a blanket, a bowl of milk, two sodas, an icepack, a cup of jello and a big bowl of popcorn into the room. She paused when she saw the look on her friends' faces. "Hey, you guys okay?

Kouji cleared his throat and stood up, moving across the room and taking some things from Keiko. "It's nothing."

Keiko smiled lightly at the raven. "Thanks."

"Hn."

"I'm not sure if you're feeling up to eating yet, but I got you some jello in case you want it." She pulled her cat off of the back of the couch, setting her on the ground. "And I got you some milk, Mister Boots."

The cat mewed happily and rubbed against Keiko's legs, immediately lapping at the milk when Keiko put it on the floor.

"Mister Boots is so cute and well-behaved," Izumi said smiling. "You're lucky to have a cat that listens."

_~She only listens because once upon a time, she was Ayame's cat.~_

"Thank you," Keiko said, her smile becoming strained. "Ready to watch the movie guys?"

Kouichi looked suspiciously at the brunette. _~Wow. She completely shut down after that comment. Wonder what's up.~_

The brunette plopped down between the twins and picked up the remote to the lights, turning them off and pulling the blanket over them. Kouji hit the play button.

**

* * *

**

Tomoki had never denied a girl before.

Well, scratch that. Yeah, he _had _denied a few girls.

But Tomoki had never denied a girl who was one of his best friends.

Chiaki was leaned in, her eyes half-lidded, and Tomoki suddenly realized that she was truly _beautiful, _grown up, and no longer the same little girl that he'd met in the Digital World for the first time.

But for Tomoki, Chiaki wasn't Michiko, and if Chiaki wasn't Michiko, she just wasn't _right. _

For some reason, though, he didn't stop her. He just shut his eyes and let her lips press against his.

He had a feeling that things would be worse if he pushed the girl away the second she began to lean forward. He would let her kiss him. But afterwards, he would have to tell her that he didn't like her the way she liked him, as hard as it sounded.

Chiaki pulled away after what couldn't have been more than five seconds. Her cheeks turned pink. "I really like you, Tomoki."

He stared, remembering what Michiko had said to him when 'Takashi' and 'Momoe' had finally decided to meet.

"_Michiko? What're you doing here?"_

_The auburn haired girl had smiled at him. "This probably sounds really dumb, but I'm supposed to meet a man I met online here."_

_Tomoki's stomach dropped. "You… Momoe?"_

_She stared, her eyes going wide. "T-Takashi?"_

_He laughed nervously. "I guess it did end up working out. You're only two years older, instead of ten."_

"_B-But I-I…" She opened her mouth, then shut it, looking sick. "You're… a kid."_

_He blinked. "What?"_

"_I can't date a kid." She ran a hand through her hair. "I mean, you're still eleven years old… I-I…"_

"_But you were willing to try to get a twenty two year old man to date you," Tomoki said. "And now you're freaked out that it's a twelve year old?"_

"_There's… there's a big difference between a fifteen year old girl and a twelve year old boy, Tomoki… I'm sorry."_

"_I really like you, Michiko."_

"_I know…" She looked upset. "I'm sorry."_

Those words that Chiaki had said, and the way she'd said them… _~I was her at one point. And now I'm going to make her go through the same thing.~_

Tomoki thought of something. If he'd never had his experience with Michiko, would he like Chiaki? Hell, he knew that if he'd never had his experience with Michiko, he'd at least give the girl a chance. He'd at least _try. _

He would at least try, unlike Michiko.

Chiaki looked like a nervous wreck, and Tomoki was positive that only a year ago, he'd looked the same way.

He knew Chiaki very well. The brunette had taken him under her wing, caring for him after Michiko had broken his heart. She'd comforted him when nobody else would.

So he would try, for her sake.

He would try, because if anybody deserved to be loved, it was Chiaki.

Tomoki gently put his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him and kissing her again, and the girl clutched at his sides, not surprising him. She obviously wasn't very experienced. Not saying he was, though.

But he was more mature than the other boys his age, so he at least had an idea of what to do.

He pulled away from the kiss, and he guided her head forward to rest on his shoulder. She was practically in his lap by now. "I like you too, Chiaki."

And it wasn't a lie.

Because if he tried as hard as he possibly could and pushed away every feeling he'd ever had for Michiko, he knew that kiss would've been sweeter than candy.

**

* * *

**

Kouji was absolutely stunned at the gore, horror and craziness of the movie they were watching. Izumi actually seemed to be intrigued in it, a sort of half smile on her face. Kouichi had a twisted look on his face, not really knowing how to react to what they were witnessing. Keiko's jaw had dropped long ago, the poor brunette would cover her eyes for half of the movie.

Kouji wasn't normally one to be afraid of movies, especially crazy ones like these where super powered spider monkey creatures would attack and kill, but this actually had him genuinely freaked out. Enough to wish he could leap across the couch and take refuge on his brother's lap.

Suddenly, one of the super powered spider monkey creatures popped out, and everybody on the couch jumped. Izumi gasped and accidentally kicked Kouichi in the thigh. The older twin jumped so much that the popcorn bowl in his hands sprayed it's contents all over the couch. Keiko had yelped and covered her eyes with shaking hands. Kouji, who had attempted to reach across and grab Keiko's arm, lacking anything else to do, missed completely and grabbed a handful of breast, causing the girl to shriek.

Then there was silence. Izumi turned, surprised at the second shriek, as Kouichi did, and they both stared at Kouji's hand. Keiko pulled her hands away from her eyes and slowly looked down, staring at the hand for several seconds, then staring up at Kouji. She worked her mouth, but then shut it, her face becoming the brightest shade of red that any of her friends had ever seen, and that was saying a lot, since Keiko got embarrassed a lot.

Kouji's jaw dropped the second he grabbed it. He'd honestly been reaching for her arm, but the second he tried, she'd covered her eyes, which put him right in the line to grab something he'd never imagined grabbing on the brunette.

After what felt like a century of staring, Kouji had laughed weakly, his face turning red. "Uh, you sure you're only a 34B? It feels kinda big. Heh."

Izumi began laughing before whimpering and grabbing her jaw. "Oh God. It hurts to laugh."

Kouichi reached over and gently disengaged Kouji's hand from Keiko's chest, depositing it on his lap. "There we go," he said awkwardly.

Keiko slowly directed her attention to Kouji's face. He was obviously humiliated. So she broke the ice. "I guess I've just been eating a lot of noodles," she said, smiling nervously at her own lame joke.

Izumi cackled, then muttered an "Ouch".

Kouichi and Kouji laughed too, Kouichi because he actually found the joke funny, and Kouji, because he was absolutely relieved that Keiko wasn't attempting to humiliate him even more.

They all went back to watching the movie, the awkwardness completely blown away.

**

* * *

**

"So pretty," Junpei murmured against Michiko's lips, his hand moving lower down her back until it reached one of her soft cheeks.

Michiko shifted and ran her hands up his stomach, marveling at the fact that years ago, it would've been soft and flabby to the touch, but now it was hard as a rock, abs visibly protruding from the skin.

Junpei pulled her closer, his other hand joining it's twin on her bottom. "I had this weird dream last night."

"What was it about?" she asked, sitting on his lap.

He shrugged. Michiko had noticed that he'd looked down all day. "I had a dream about Takuya." He paused and looked up at his girlfriend.

She looked a little bit surprised, but he could tell she was ready to listen.

So he went on. "He was telling me something… I wasn't really paying attention, because I was so shocked that he was even there. I remember him saying though, that he was proud."

Michiko was shocked to find that his eyes had begun to fill up with tears. She didn't speak.

"He told me that he knew I was going to be okay." He sniffled. "I don't know why it's got me so bothered. I mean, I never cry. I haven't cried since the Digital World…" A tear dripped down his face. "God…"

Michiko wrapped her arms around him, holding him while he cried silently into her shoulder. His arms wound around her waist, and he found that he couldn't get enough of her, and he was just so _happy _that he had her that…

That-

"I love you so much Michiko," he said shakily, holding onto her tighter.

Her eyes went wide upon hearing this and she felt her heart flutter. "I love you too, Junpei."

He continued crying.

**

* * *

**

"_Ayame, you shouldn't be so high in that tree! Please come down! I'm afraid that you'll-"_

_Crack._

She was suddenly being shaken awake.

"Hey, you're drooling on me," Kouji muttered groggily, stretching.

Keiko pushed herself up into a sitting position, blinking and looking around the room. "Wha…?" She brushed at her mouth self-consciously.

"The second movie was a total bore," Kouji said, rubbing his eye. "We all fell asleep. It's like, one in the morning."

"Are your parents gonna get mad?" she asked tiredly, leaning back against the couch and pulling the blanket close to her.

"I'm with my mom this weekend. And she's working an all-nighter at the hospital. She won't even be home until five o'clock in the evening tomorrow."

"You and Kouichi can spend the night. You can have the guest room down the hall."

He nodded and rubbed his eye. "Come on, wake up. Help me clean up." He shook her arm. "Why're you so tired all the time?"

She cracked an eye open. "What do you mean? You all fell asleep too." She motioned to Kouichi and Izumi, the latter resting her head on the armrest and laying down and the former leaning his head on her hip.

"You fall asleep all the time in class. You're always tired." He crossed his arms over his chest. "As your friend, I have the right to worry."

She smiled sleepily. "_Friends. _You're so precious, Kouji."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just wake up. I need your help getting these two up to bed."

"Why couldn't you have woken Kouichi or your lover up?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes and leaning forward, trying to keep her eyes open.

"Because once he gets sleeping, he won't wake up for anything. And Izumi's so drugged up she probably wouldn't be able to carry you up the stairs."

"You should've woken up and carried all three of us up."

"I'm your guest," he muttered. "Now come on."

She groaned and got off the couch, stumbling. "I'm so tired," she murmured pathetically.

"I know, me too."

"We can't wake Naoki or Aya up. Will you help me carry these dishes downstairs?"

He nodded.

It took only one trip and the two were quiet enough to not wake anybody up. Thankfully.

"Okay, I'll get Izumi, you get Kouichi. You guys'll be staying in the guestroom across the hall from Izumi's," Keiko said, hoisting Izumi onto her back.

"Alright." Kouji managed to get his brother, who was pretty much deadweight, onto his back.

"Thanks for letting us stay, Keiko," Kouji had muttered when the two met back up in the hall after depositing the other two in their beds.

"No problem. Breakfast'll be served at nine. Because we always need 'structure' in this house," Keiko said, rolling her eyes.

"Aya's rule or Naoki's? It's definitely not Keiji's."

The brunette sighed. "We've always had breakfast at nine. It's like, a rule."

Kouji nodded. "Right. See you at nine."

"You don't have to wake up," she said. "Only if you want."

"I've had Ayaka's pancakes," he said, smirking. "So I'll be there."

She smiled. "Cool. Goodnight."

"G'night, Keiko."

**

* * *

**

"_It's just a bump, Keiko. It's really fine. See?" Ayame smiled._

_Keiko nodded, still shaking. "O-Okay. Only if you're sure."_

"_I'm positive." She grinned brightly. "I'm just gonna sit here for a second, okay?"_

"_I'll stay with you."_

**

* * *

**

When Kouji came downstairs at nine fifteen, he was surprised to see Izumi sitting at the table, staring at a bowl of jello, Kouichi next to the blonde, finishing off a plate of pancakes, and Keiko, slumped over the table, her face in her arms. Keiji was sipping at coffee, watching the Saturday morning cartoons with Saburo and Akira. Naoki and Aya were reading the paper.

Ayaka set a plate of pancakes in front of her. "Late night, doll?"

Keiko looked up and smiled. "Not really. I just have these weird dreams."

"'Bout what?" Keiji asked, his eyes not leaving the television.

Kouji slid into a seat between Keiko and Aya, the latter of whom smiled at him.

She shrugged. "I don't really remember them."

"Kouji, would you like blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes?" Ayaka asked, swatting Keiji's hand away when it wandered up her thigh.

"I'll have blueberry please," Kouji murmured.

Izumi slapped a hand over her mouth and ran out of the room.

The younger raven twin looked alarmed. "Is she okay?"

"She gets sick after she takes her medicine. The anesthesia's still in her system," Keiko explained, sipping her orange juice.

"Oh," Kouji said lamely, sinking down into his seat.

"Don't worry lover boy, she's gonna be fine," Keiji muttered, his eyes still glued to Bugs Bunny tricking Elmer Fudd.

Kouji's eyes widened. "_What_?"

"It's obvious that you like her," the dark haired man said, smiling when Elmer Fudd shot himself in the face. "I know fucking everything, remember?"

"Language, Keiji," Aya chastised softly.

"Shut up," he replied casually, causing Naoki to glare. "But what really pisses me off, is that you never told me that you and Kouichi aren't twins. What's up with that?"

Kouji blinked. "I thought you knew."

He narrowed his eyes, actually turning to look at the raven. "I _didn't_. You hid it well."

"Just ignore him, he's crazy," Ayaka said setting a plate in front of Kouji.

"Crazy in love with you," Keiji said, grinning and patting his girlfriend's butt lightly.

Keiko sighed. "God Keiji, you're so lame."

He stuck his tongue out at his sister. "Obviously I'm not if I landed a hottie like Ayaka."

Kouji smirked when Ayaka smacked the back of his head. Interesting family.

**

* * *

**

The end! :D

Ahh. So it's five in the morning again. WTF.

Good night. Er, good morning. Dx


	15. Drops of Jupiter

Wow, an early post? What's wrong with the world? xD

Hope y'all like this chapter. :D

**Review replies to chapter 14:**

**Immortal Fallen Radiance: **New reviewer! Yay! :D OOPS! See, that's what happens when I don't get betaed. xD And I meant are… *Is embarrassed* Okay, so Kouichi IS totally adorable. He's such a doll. x) Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Thankful Memories: **Thanks so much! Hope you like this chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Honey. He will. xD Tomoki's such a bad ass. For some reason. xD I LOVE TAMOTSU SO MUCHHHH! Poor Keiko and Kouji. How embarrassing. Dx OH WELL. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter son. Knowing you, you will.

**Celestial Writer: **Ahaha, I was cringing while I wrote it! xD Tomoki's finally growing up. Sniffsniff. HEHE. Poor Junpei. He's so sad. D: I love Saburo tooooo. :D Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **YAY! :D Hehe, I felt bad for the KouKei lovers. So I gave 'em a little somethin' somethin'. ;D I wanted to kind of have a little thing going on without Tamotsu. I missed him though. Dx Don't worry, the time certainly will come! :D Tomoki's finally grown up. Let's hope he makes good decisions! Poor Junpei. D: But it was nice that through the pain, he was able to profess his love for Michiko. :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

Okay, for my question this time... If you could have a threesome with any two characters (girl or boy or BOTH) who would it be? x) I'm so sick, I know.

**

* * *

**

**1.**

Keiji is 4 and he wants to be just like his big brother Naoki. Everything Naoki does is so cool. Naoki's seven, meaning he can do anything. He's allowed to stay up past eight, he's allowed to play in the backyard alone, he's even allowed to eat all the ice cream he wants!

Well, at least that's what Naoki tells him.

Keiji can't wait to be seven.

**2.**

Keiji is 5 and he decides that babies are absolutely disgusting. His mother just gave birth to a little boy, who they name Saburo.

Keiji hates his little brother.

His mom and dad used to always read stories to him, and they always used to play with him and get him food when he wanted some, but now they only care about stupid old Saburo.

Saburo wakes up screaming all the time at night, and it always wakes Keiji up. It's annoying.

Naoki tells him that it's not right to hate your baby brother. He tells him that he's allowed to dislike him, but he'll always love him.

Keiji sticks his tongue out at his brother when he walks away.

**3.**

Keiji is 6 and he's happy.

His dad just let him join lacrosse, which he has dubbed the most amazing sport on the planet. Keiji knows that his dad used to play lacrosse, and he was really great at it.

So Keiji decides that if he's going to win his parents back, he's going to have to show them that he's just like them.

They've just had another baby, in the middle of October, and he can't remember when they had Saburo, but this time, it's a little baby girl.

He doesn't like her either.

His father always tells him that he's going to have to protect his little sister, but Keiji decides that if he's going to protect anybody, it's going to be himself.

**4. **

Keiji is 6, going on seven in a couple of weeks, when he gets yet another sister.

This one he likes.

She can already open her eyes, and she even smiles. His mother tells him that babies aren't supposed to smile that early.

Keiji replies that she must be happy.

Very happy.

He especially likes his new sister, because he and Naoki get to name her.

They decide to name her Ayame, after the little girl that Naoki goes to school that moved away.

Keiji thinks Naoki likes the Ayame that moved.

Naoki doesn't argue.

**5.**

Keiji is 7 and he's realized that his dad looks like a dragon at night. His eyes get red, and his skin turns green. Keiji thinks it's kind of funny, but his mom tells him that it's not.

She tells him that their dad is very tired and he gets sick to his stomach at night.

Naoki says it's probably because of all of the beer he drinks.

He gets sent to his room.

Keiji asks his mother why beer would make somebody sick. His mother smiles gently down at him and she says beer only makes you sick if you drink too much, and she assures him that daddy only drinks a little bit.

Keiji's confused, but he leaves it at that. He can tell his mother doesn't want to say much else.

**6.**

Keiji is 8 and a half and he's laying in bed while everybody else swims outside.

Last week, he fell into a beehive on the property, and he's stuck inside for a whole week while his stings heal up.

He stares through his window, watching as his father lifts Ayame out of the water, and the little blonde toddler laughs happily.

Keiji feels jealous. He wishes his father would hold him like that again.

He turns over in his bed, pulling the pillow into his chest and crying.

It hurts even more, because of the healing wounds on his neck and mouth.

**7.**

Keiji is 9 and a half and he still hasn't won his parents back.

They both came to his lacrosse championship and he is prepared to score the tying goal. There are only seven seconds left, and the game is in his hands. He knows he can do it.

He was thinking so hard about the elated face his father would have and the cheering from his brothers and the hug from his mother that he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing.

He lost his footing and panicking as he fell, he stupidly put his stick in front of him and his stomach hit it hard, knocking the wind out of him hard and sending him to the ground as he tried to catch his breath with hitching sobs.

The crowd gasps as he dissolves into tears, curling up into a ball in front of everybody, hiding his face in his shaking hands and just crying.

He feels somebody pick him up off the ground and carry him away. It's his father.

He's shushing him as he gets him into the car, holding him tightly and Keiji just wails into his shirt, frustrated and humiliated and in pain.

His father gives his stomach a check when they get into the house, and there's a big purple bruise on it. It's swollen around the edges, just like Keiji's red eyes.

He spends the evening in his father's lap, a bag of ice on his stomach as the two watch cartoons with Saburo.

Ayame and Keiko come into the house and the brunette shyly hands him a flower. "F-For y-y-you."

He thanks her softly and Ayame hands him one too. "It was all Keiko's idea!" she insists excitedly. "She's so smart!"

Keiko's face turns pink and she walks out of the room. Ayame smiles brightly at her brother, pushes the bag of ice out of the way and gently kisses the bruise. "Feel better Keiji. I love you."

He blinks and smiled at her. "Thank you Ayame."

The blonde giggles and skips out of the room, most likely following Keiko.

His father doesn't even go back to work in the office for the whole rest of the night, and his mother cooked him his favorite dinner.

He realizes that maybe he never had to win his parents back in the first place.

**8. **

Keiji is 10 and a half and he's icing his fist.

He has several friends over for a big sleepover in his basement, and Keiko comes down, asking if any of the boys want something to drink.

One of them begins to laugh, and replies, "S-S-Sure K-K-K-Keiko."

The brunette blinks and is about to say something, but another one of Keiji's friends interrupts. "I'll have a s-s-s-s-s-s-oda."

"And I-I'll h-have j-j-j-juice."

"W-W-Water for m-m-me."

"Guys, stop it," one boy, Tanaka Matsui, says, not amused. "It isn't funny."

Keiko finally realizes what they're doing and she looks pleadingly at her brother, humiliated and upset. Keiji says nothing, shocked at what his friends are doing.

"D-D-Didn't you h-h-hear me? I s-s-said I want some j-j-juice, b-b-b-b-bitch."

Keiji has no idea what possesses him for a split second, but he's on top of the boy, pounding his fist into his face with no mercy, bent on reshaping the fucker's entire face and Keiko's screaming, yelling (stuttering) desperately for her parents to help.

It's his father that drags Keiji off of the boy, and his entire fist is dripping with blood. Keiji's stuggling out of his hold, trying his best to get out of his father's arms. He's not done.

His mother drops down next to the crying child on the ground, using her own shirt to wipe the blood off his face. She quietly suggests that she brings the boys home, since the sleepover is obviously over.

It takes five minutes, but Keiji's finally in the kitchen, icing down his knuckles while his father yells about control.

"H-He didn't g-get m-m-mad for no r-reason daddy," Keiko says softly from Keiji's side. "He was d-d-d-d-d-"

"I was defending her," he says. "They were making fun of her for stuttering."

His father looks over to Keiko, who's embarrassed. "Is that true, Keiko?"

"Y-Yes."

"I don't want you hanging out with those boys again," his father states angrily.

"M-Matsui was t-trying to tell them t-t-to stop daddy," Keiko says. "He's n-nice."

He nods. "As I said, you won't hang out with those boys again, Keiji. With the exception of Matsui."

"Wasn't fucking planning on it," Keiji huffs.

"Watch your tongue, young man."

When their father leaves the kitchen, Keiko smiles at Keiji. "Th-thank you, Keiji."

He smiles back at her. "You're welcome, Keiko."

**9.**

Keiji is 11 and he has his first kiss.

Keiko is moved up to play on the varsity lacrosse team when he's in seventh grade.

The principal announces the news over the loudspeaker.

The entire school is congratulating him, patting him on the shoulder and giving him high fives. Keiji is on top of the world.

Just as he's getting his shoes on after school, a girl in his homeroom comes up to him, her cheeks pink. She softly congratulates him, and leans forward shakily, pecking him on the lips.

Keiji stares after her as she runs away, his lips warm.

If he was on top of the world before, he's in heaven now.

**10.**

Keiji is 11 and a half and he will never forget this day.

His father comes into his room with a tiny Siberian Husky. It's name is Pacino, he says, and he tells Keiji that it's his. Keiji is surprised, slowly asking why he was getting a puppy.

His father tells him that in the past three years, he's never been more proud of his son. The dog is a gift for a job well done.

And when his father squeezes his shoulder and says in the softest, most tender voice. "I love you, son."

Keiji is too shocked to say anything and instead opts to give his father a hug.

He's so happy, he doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

**11.**

Keiji is 12 and he's uncomfortable.

The only person making an attempt at speaking at the dinner table is little Ayame, who's speaking with animated gestures and her words are often interrupted by little giggles.

Once Ayame's been going on for over fifteen minutes, their father slams a hand down on the table. "Enough."

Ayame stares at him before going back to her food, silent.

"Yuuto," their mother says softly. "Please. Don't take it out on the kids."

"Don't tell me what to do."

There's silence again.

Keiko looks up at her mother. "P-Pass the s-s-sauce, mama?"

Their mother hands the girl the tub of sauce.

"Th-th-th-th-th-th-"

"No problem, Keiko."

Silence once again.

Their father speaks. "We're moving."

Keiji's eyes widen, but it's Naoki that says, "What?"

"The company is going down the gutter. We're going to move out of this house and get a smaller one."

"I don't want to move," Saburo says. "I love it here."

"I don't wanna move either," Ayame says, looking sad. "Please don't make us move daddy."

"We have no choice," he says, beginning to get angry again.

"We do too," Naoki says, his eyes not leaving his plate. "Quit drinking so much and work a little harder. Then we can stay."

Their father erupts. The throws his plate across the room, grabbing the table, the table that weighs over two hundred pounds, and he flips it over as if it weighs nothing, outraged. "You ungrateful little fuck!"

Keiko's crying at this point and Ayame's holding her hand, shushing her. Saburo looks horrified. Naoki is simply staring up at his father, not flinching.

Their father storms out of the room, a door slamming elsewhere in the house.

Their mother leaves and follows him, saying nothing to her children.

Keiko is sniffling and Ayame is staring at their ruined dinner. "Naoki?" she says hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Why does daddy drink so much?"

Naoki smiles bitterly. "Because he hates his life."

**12.**

Keiji is 13 and he's tired.

It's apparently his job now to wake his sisters up for school. He hates having to wake up even five minutes earlier.

He's not a morning person.

He goes into Keiko's room first, shaking the girl's arm and grunting that she has to wake up now. The brunette sits up in bed and rubs her eyes. "W-What t-t-ti-ti-"

"It's six thirty," he says, knowing that the little girl's stutter was extremely frustrating and humiliating. "You have to get ready for school, alright?"

She nods and gets out of her bed. He stands and goes down the hall and opens the door to Ayame's room. He goes over, sighs, and shakes her. "Ayame. Get up."

The blonde doesn't move and Keiji grumbled and shakes her harder. "Ayame. Get. Up."

She doesn't move again and Keiji actually feels a bit alarmed. He pulls the covers off of her and notices that her chest isn't moving. Slowly, with trembling fingers, he checks her pulse, and when he feels nothing, he falls backwards, his heart pounding so fast and so hard that he thinks he's having a heart attack.

He begins hyperventilating, realizing his sister is dead and he begins shaking. "Mama! Mama! Mama!" he screams, and his parents are there, grabbing at the little blonde on the bed.

Keiji, in his stupor, turns his head and sees Keiko in the doorway, looking utterly horrified. She stares at him and he opens his arms.

He doesn't know what possesses him to do it.

She drops down into him, her small fingers holding onto his shirt and she's not even crying. She's just watching everything happen.

Keiko always cries about everything. And now, when her best and only friend is laying dead in her father's arms, she's quiet.

Keiji notices that Keiko never cries or stutters after her death.

**13.**

Keiji is 14 and there's a new girl in his class.

Her name is Ayaka and she's from Ikebukuro. She's pretty, long brown hair and blue eyes. She nervously takes a seat next to him, and he turns to her, his face resting lazily on his hand as he stares at her. He pushes a hand out. "Keiji."

She turns and takes his hand, shaking it. "Ayaka."

"You're from Ikebukuro? That's a pretty big distance," he mutters.

"I know. My parents wanted to change scenes. And I don't really mind. I didn't like my old school."

"Why's that?" he asks, genuinely curious, but the teacher begins class. He sighs, annoyed. "Hey, can you shut up for one minute?" he asks the teacher. "I'm in the middle of a conversation, here."

He gets sent to detention and has to wait until the next day to ask, in which she replies with a grin and says that girls don't give away secrets that easily.

He huffs. "I went to detention for nothing then?"

She smiled and laughs. "Sorry!"

He rolls his eyes, but she's forgiven.

**14.**

Keiji is 14 and a half he will never forget this night.

He doesn't remember what happens to make everything escalate to this point, but he does know that Naoki and their father are screaming in each other's faces, showing no mercy.

They're calling each other every name in the book, and Keiji's terrified, but he won't show it.

Somehow, it gets to the point that their father, who's completely out of his wits, takes a swing at their mother, but Naoki gets into the way like the absolute Superman he is and throws a punch at their father's face, causing his head to snap to the side.

There's a split second of silence, but Naoki gets punched four times as hard in the jaw, and he's sent into the vase, glass showering over and around him, and his hand is impaled by a small shard of glass.

Keiji is there as quickly as he can be, pulling the glass out of his face, neck, arms, back, but he leaves his hand alone.

Their mother is sobbing, their father has dropped to their knees and Naoki is wailing.

Keiji is the only one with a bit of sense.

And that's what he hates about it all.

**15.**

Keiji is 15 and he's a murderer.

Keiko and their parents took a trip to Paris. The trip ended up falling on the week of Keiji's huge lacrosse tournament. So he called his parents from Japan, begging them to take an early flight home so they could see his game in the morning.

Forty five minutes away from the Shibuya airport, the plane goes down.

The plane lands in a field, and out of all of the passengers on the commercial jet, there are only twenty survivors, Keiko among them.

He tells Naoki what he did only a week after Keiko comes back home, having healed from her injuries.

Naoki shakes his head at him, the bags under his eyes evident. "It's not your fault, Keiji. It was just a freak accident."

Keiji shakes his head at his brother. "It's my fault."

Naoki holds him the rest of the night, allowing his brother to cry harder than he's ever seen. And when he's done, exhausted by his heartbroken tears, Naoki carries him to bed, and Keiji promises him that he no longer blames himself.

Naoki believes him and goes back to the office, working the entire night.

Keiji stares up at his ceiling, guilty that he lied.

**16.**

Keiji is 15 and a half he loses his virginity to a nameless face.

He doesn't remember anything from the night before, only the shots of tequila and vodka, the kegs of beer and the weed.

He wakes up in bed with a girl he vaguely recognizes. He sees her in the hall every so often. Her name…

He can't remember if his life depended on it.

So he gets out of the bed, the pounding headache hitting him so hard that he stumbles and falls dizzily to the floor. He literally crawls across the bed, pulling on his boxers and jeans, pulling on his shirt and leaving the house.

He comes home through the kitchen and ignores Keiko and Saburo when they greet him.

He goes straight for the toilet and immediately empties the contents of his stomach into it.

Saburo comes in and lightly touches his back, asking if he's alright.

Keiji swats the hand, telling him to get the fuck out.

The boy slowly backs away and Keiji immediately feels guilty. He'd always had a soft spot for Saburo, and that was just wrong.

Later that evening, he brings Saburo to a toy store and buys him everything he asks for, which isn't a lot.

They eat dinner together at a restaurant, and they watch a movie back at the house afterwards.

Later that night, Naoki and Keiji argue in the foyer when Keiko and Saburo are asleep. Naoki's angry, because Keiji didn't bother to tell him he was sleeping out and Keiji tells him that he's old enough for Naoki not to have to worry about him. Naoki's also angry, because Keiji left Keiko and himself alone in the house, not even bothering to tell them he was leaving or even if they wanted to come.

Keiji sighs and tells Naoki to take the stick out of his ass before going up the stairs.

"Maybe I wouldn't have such a stick in my ass if you would just talk to me!" Naoki shouts after him, and Keiji whirls around on the stairs.

"You're not dad. Stop pretending to be."

And immediately after he says it, he notices the bags under his brother's eyes and how pale his skin is. He realizes that Naoki probably hasn't slept in days.

But he doesn't apologize.

He goes up to his room and an hour later, while he's still lying awake, he hears Naoki finally go to bed in his room.

And Keiji's absolutely positive he hears him crying.

**17.**

Keiji is 16 and he's kissing Ayaka.

The girl leaned in first, and now they're laying on his bed, his hand down her pants, her hand threading through his hair and his hips grinding against her thigh.

He flips them over so he's on top, in control, and he pulls her jeans down.

Everything is in fast motion from that point forward.

He doesn't remember much of it, but he remembers the way she runs her hands through his hair, and the way she kisses his collarbone.

Afterwards, as they lay in his bed together, she whispers "I love you" in his ear, but he doesn't reply.

He feels guilty.

**18.**

Keiji is 17 and he's dying. He's done too much. He snorted three lines of cocaine, four lines of heroin immediately after.

One drug is an upper, the other is a relaxant. And this causes him to OD.

His eyes are rolling to the back of his head, and it scares him more than anything, because he's alone. He falls off of his bed, and he vaguely hears the door open, and somebody screams, horrified at the sight.

He thinks it's Keiko.

The person leaves and he's alone again.

He doesn't want to die this way, holed up in his room, scared out of his mind.

There's another voice, and Keiji feels himself being turned onto his side, blood dripping from his nose and vomit pouring out of his mouth.

Naoki shouts for Keiko to call an ambulance and the girl is already on it. Saburo is on his other side, holding his hand while Keiji suffers and his eyes roll back once more, staying there.

When Keiji wakes up, there's an IV in his arm, and there're tubes going up his nose. Naoki's at his beside, holding his hand.

They say nothing to each other for the longest time, and then Naoki stands up, leaving the room. If Keiji were stronger, he would have cried for his brother not to leave.

Two minutes later, he returns with a doctor.

Keiji feels stupid for ever thinking that he'd leave in the first place.

**19.**

Keiji is 18 and he's in love.

He realizes it when he's sitting at a desk, Ayaka across from him and he's helping her with her physics homework.

He watches her hands as they push papers around, he watches her lips as she asks him questions, he watches her eyes, realizing that one iris has a ring of brown around it. So he leans forward, capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

She stares at him when he sits back down. "Can't it wait until later?"

He feels his stomach. They're close friends, but it's turned into a friends with benefits relationship. And he doesn't want that.

"I don't want to fuck you tonight," he says. "I just want to kiss you."

They don't speak until they finish. They retreat up to his room, and they lay down on the bed. Keiji doesn't want to do anything but kiss the girl.

She doesn't argue.

**20.**

Keiji is 19 and he has a girlfriend.

After being held hostage for almost 24 hours, he comes to a realization that life's short.

So he drags the girl onto an airplane with him and they go to Italy for a full week, eating all sorts of different food, riding on gondolas, visiting art museums, and it's not until he's driving her home, that he turns and says, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

Ayaka gawks for a second but she regains herself, clearing her throat. "Of course."

They kiss.

**21.**

Keiji is 19 and a half and he hates his brother more than anything.

They're best friends. They've always been best friends, but he's being replaced by the man's stupid wife.

Aya (who's real name is Ayame, another punch in the gut), decided that she and Naoki were going to be married in Italy. Just the two of them.

Keiko and Saburo weren't coming. And neither was Keiji.

He'd never been so mad in his life when he first found out.

He and Naoki were always best friends, they do everything together.

But what angers Keiji the most about everything, is that he's known Naoki for much, much longer than Ayaka, and he was still picked last.

In all honesty, Keiji doesn't want to have to win his brother too.

**22.**

Keiji is twenty and he's spilling everything to Ayaka.

She's holding tightly to him, stroking his hair as he lets out his entire childhood, from Ayame to his parents to Saburo's suicide attempt to Keiko's stutter to Naoki's workaholic tendencies.

She doesn't interrupt him once.

When he's done, she kisses him and they speak softly for several minutes, discussing it all.

She doesn't laugh at him for crying, she doesn't interrupt him when he speaks of his parents and his sister, she simply holds his hand tightly and lets him speak.

It's more than Keiji could ask for, or imagine.

He wants to marry this woman.

**23.**

Keiji is twenty one and he's a chicken.

He proposes to have a family dinner, including Orimoto Izumi, Keiko's friend who's staying with them for the week so he can finally ask Ayaka to marry him.

He's already received her father's blessing, and he's happier than anything that he's accepted by the man.

Keiji's had the wedding ring for months now, and several times, he'd been ready to propose, but he's always hindered by something.

This time, though, he's ready. Saburo's pumped him up endlessly, and nobody else knows.

He won't be afraid this time.

This time, he won't be afraid to win a person he loves.


	16. Promises

**Review replies for chapter 15:**

**Danieeelle: **Thanks! Hopefully this won't be your last review, ya fool. :D

**Immortal Fallen Radiance: **I love Keiji too. He's a doll. (: AH. Don't worry about it! Heh heh! Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**LoveCherrySnow: **Ooh, that'd be a sexy threesome… Tamotsu's definitely super sexy. He's be one of my choices. (; Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Keiji's the best. And he's yummy. OOPS. HEHE. Keiko can't play lacrosse. xD MAYBEH. WAIT AND SEE YO. I'm up late writing this one too. It's four. xD Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter!

**ThankfulMemories: **Actually, Morgan thought that too! Weird, huh? xD Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**(14)SwAlLoWiNg DaNtE: **That's alright! Ooh, I'm a Takouji fangirl too. Hehe. :D Thanks for the review and hopefully you like this chapter! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **I know! I was on a roll that week. (x Thank you! That's an amazing compliment! I do my best! :D Keiji was a cutie growing up. And he still is. Hehe. Yesyes, they're quite the gorgeous couple, right? :D I didn't put much more detail into Saburo's, because he was younger, so he didn't remember as much. (x Thanks so much for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**D4RKWR173R5: **Yes! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**My-Little-Star: **YOU'RE BACK! *Glomps* I'm so happy! I missed you so much! :D Poor Takuya. Such a good soul. D: Kouji's a DOUCHE BAG. :D Yay for Tamotsu! I love him. (: A bunch of other people used to hate him too. Weirdness. I know. They need Takuya. D: Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **Poor Keiji. D: Hmmm, I don't know. Two wrongs don't make a right… Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Caliboy: **It's okay! I'm just glad you're back. How was your trip? Hehe, I had a chuckle while writing that. xD EW. JB are so overrated. Somebody to love by Queen is the way to go! I love Saburo too. He's so silly. xD OOH, you're a freaky one. I like. (x Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Sydneyfuckingbell24: **I loved writing Keiji. His character is fun to peg. :D Poor wittle Keiko. Ayame IS a doll! I love her tooooo! :D TAMOTSU FTW! LOL, you really are hilarious. xD Nice threesomes… I never would've expected Kouji and Keiji from you! Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **That's okay! :D I feel bad for Keiko too. And I love writing Keiji. (: Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

YAY! Beautiful-gorgeous-amazing Atsuko is finally in this chapter! :D

REALLY GUYS? 12 reviews for last chapter? That's amazing! Thank you all so much!

So Sydney and I were talking about Junpei and Michiko's "age difference" and we kind of realized, I'm probably younger than all the people reading this story… AWKWARD. xD

OHKAY. So to the people that answered the threesome question (LoveCherrySnow, Caliboy and Sydneybell24) you all win two Tamotsu Tokens! Because you were all brave enough to answer!

Tamotsu: Yay for Tamotsu tokens!

Indeed. Tamotsu tokens will enable you to request something for a chapter!

3 tokens: any straight coupling hint of your choice (meaning you can pick the way it happens)

7 tokens: and coupling hint at ALL of your choice (for the fangirls and fanboys xD And erm... nothing TOO extreme. xD)

10 tokens: a sex scene! YAYYY! (between already established couples. boooo. oh, and that doesn't mean i'll only make sex scenes when they're requested. they'll still be there! HEH HEH.)

So. Make sure you watch out for questions, because you never know which ones will win you points. ;D

HAHA.

OH. And for the chapter after the next one (or two, however things happen to work out) I'm taking requests. So the first person to review with their request gets their chapter! :D

And uh, when you request… no bringing the dead back to life. COUGHSYDNEYCOUGH.

Thankieees. :D

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**Warning: **sexual themes in beginning-middle of chapter (moderate, het), sexual themes in middle of chapter (moderate, yaoi).

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"Kouji, why do you always wear something on your head?" Keiko asked, her gloved hands holding tightly onto the chains of her swing as she moved back and forth.

The raven turned to her, his swing completely still. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" She stopped her swing suddenly, her boots digging into the snow. "You're always wearing a bandanna or a baseball hat, which is always backwards. Very suave, by the way-"

"Thanks."

"-But you usually do, besides in school, because that's not allowed. And sometimes you just don't…" She was rambling. "But why do you?"

He shrugged. "I have since I was little," he muttered. "I always liked my hair long, but kids in my schools used to make fun of me for looking like a girl. So I stared wearing bandannas and hats to make me look like more like a guy."

"Ah." Keiko nodded. "I was just curious." She began swinging again.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Oh, sure!" she called as she swung down.

"How long do you plan on keeping your sister a secret?"

**

* * *

**

"Come on, Junpei, please don't make me go alone," Michiko said softly, grasping her boyfriend's arm.

"I don't really like ice skating, Michiko," Junpei said, a tinge of annoyance in his tone.

"It won't be that bad. The whole softball team's going, and you need a date! We always do this before the season starts… Please, Junpei."

The brunette grumbled. "Bring someone else."

"How would that look, though?" Michiko asked, beginning to get angry. "Me going with some guy other than my boyfriend? You'd only have to stay for an hour."

"Michiko. I don't like ice skating."

"If we were in different positions, and you wanted me to go to one of your track things, and do something I didn't want to do, I would."

"Well we're not in different positions. Just bring Tamotsu or something."

"I don't _want _to bring Tamotsu!" she snapped, finally hitting her breaking point. "I _want _to bring you!"

"Stop acting like a five year old who can't get their way," Junpei huffed. "It's getting really old."

Michiko narrowed her eyes and stood up, grabbing her purse and walking out of the room.

"Michiko, where're you going?"

"Home." She passed his parents. "Thank you for having me over," she said quickly as she walked out through the front door.

Junpei came through the living room, his parents staring expectantly at him. He blinked at them and grumbled, grabbing his car keys and throwing his shoes on, running out and chasing the girl. "Michiko!"

"Leave me alone, Junpei!"

"Michiko." He took her hand. "At least let me drive you home."

"I can walk," she muttered, her eyes lowering to the ground as her cheeks became pink.

"It's a long walk." He spoke gently this time, his other hand carding through her hair as she cooled off, more sad than angry. "We can talk on the ride back."

She sighed, nodding. "Okay."

**

* * *

**

Keiko abruptly brought her swing to a halt. "What?"

Kouji stared levelly at her. "You heard me."

"I… how do you know about her? Did Kouichi…?"

"No. I was bored one time so I looked at some of his magazines for his project on Naoki, and I found an article on Ayame. You mad?"

"No," she murmured. "Just… surprised, I guess. I never really expected anybody else to find out anytime soon."

"I would've though you'd tell somebody by now," he said.

"I… I know." Keiko looked down at her feet. "I was going to tell Kouichi everything about her tomorrow night, actually." She blinked and looked at him. "M-Maybe you all should come too."

"Only if that's what you're okay with."

"I am."

"Hey guys!" Tamotsu exclaimed, walking over with Izumi. "We got the dango!" He handed Kouji and Keiko each a stick. "Oh." He pulled a package of cookies out of his pocket, handing them to Keiko. "And I got you some Hello Pandas, pretty."

She smiled brightly. "Thank you, Tamotsu!"

He grinned and sat next to her on another swing. Izumi took a seat next to Kouji. "There was this huge candy store opening," the blonde said. "They were handing out free peanut butter marshmallows with mint chips." She blanched. "Gross, huh?"

"That sounds really good," Keiko said, rubbing her stomach and she took a bite of her dango.

"You're sick," Tamotsu said, looking grossed out.

Keiko giggled and shrugged. "I guess so. Do you two want to come over tomorrow night?" She gestured to Tamotsu and Kouji.

The raven nodded and Keiko's boyfriend shrugged. "Why not?"

"I would ask you, Izumi, but you're still with us," Keiko said, smiling sheepishly.

Izumi smiled. "So I have no choice but to hang out with you losers."

"I'm not a loser," Tamotsu said, pouting. "I'm a winner."

"Which is why you can't beat me at anything," Kouji muttered, covering his words with a cough.

"Hey, you can't beat me, either!" Tamotsu glared. "Next contest, swing and see who can jump farther!"

"Let's do it, then!"

Izumi shook her head. "Neanderthals."

**

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**

"Ah, Junpei!" Michiko gripped at his hair, panting and twitching sporadically as his tongue and fingers brought her closer to orgasm. They hadn't even made it to her house, which was over twenty five minutes away with_out_ traffic. They were sitting there in traffic, having hit a silence after softly talking about their feelings. Junpei couldn't stop looking at the way the setting sun hit the auburn haired girl's skin, so he pulled over into a secluded parking lot and coaxed his girlfriend into the back seat with him.

She didn't argue.

He moved his head up and watched her as he pumped his fingers in and out. He switched the angle, smiling to himself when she cried out. "This good, babe?"

"Y-Yes…" She gasped and turned her head to the side, moving down into his fingers.

He moved up her body, keeping his hand moving as he kissed her sweetly on the lips. "I'm sorry I was being a jerk earlier. I love you."

She gripped his sides, pushing her face into his neck. "Love you too, Junpei… Oh…"

She tightened down on his fingers and he slowly stopped his pumping as her climax hit. He pressed light butterfly kisses to her jaw and neck until she came down from the high.

"T-That was… Thank you." She kissed him on the temple, smiling brightly up at him.

"You still up for going tonight?" he asked. "I really was being an asshole earlier. I'd like to go with you."

"You mean it?"

He nodded, kissing her again. "Yes."

"Thank you, Junpei."

**

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**

It hit Kouichi in the middle of the movie with Atsuko, that he'd never kissed her. At all. They weren't even dating. It puzzled him. They hung out together quite a bit, she obviously liked him, and he definitely liked her… So, why hadn't they moved it along?

For the rest of the movie, Kouichi pondered on her. Did she like him? What if she was like this with everybody? What if tomorrow she was going to hang out with that guy that always checked her out in literature, or the guy she was partners with in chemistry?

Atsuko had to tap his shoulder and tell him that the movie was over. He blinked and smiled sheepishly, apologizing and telling her that he was thinking.

"About what?" she asked.

"Um…" He tried to think of an excuse, but nothing came to him. "Well… I was thinking about you."

Her eyes widened. "Me?"

He nodded. "I… Yeah. I was thinking about your personality and us and…" He took a deep breath. "Do you like me, Atsuko?"

"Like you?" She smiled. "Yeah. I like you a lot, Kouichi."

Kouichi wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him on the couch while his other hand came to rest on her cheek. "I like you too," he murmured before he leaned in, giving her a light kiss on the lips.

He kept it chaste. He didn't want her thinking he was a pervert. He didn't want to ruin his chances with her. She was so… amazing.

He hadn't kissed many people in his life, only Keiko when they were dating, Michiko and Izumi when they played spin the bottle and of course, that random encounter at a party.

_~I really have a knack for hooking up with my friends, don't I?~_

He pulled away, gauging her reaction, and when she only smiled, he kissed her again, moving his lips slightly but not deepening it anymore.

It lasted perhaps five minutes.

He pulled away and decided instead to wrap his arm around the girl and just relax. He was about to ask her if she'd like to be his girlfriend, but he decided that he'd rather get to know her first.

Everything was amazing, and they stayed together for a while and when she leaned in for another kiss and he reciprocated, the last thing he expected was for the light to come on and for Kouji to walk in with Keiko, both of them shocked.

Silence.

Keiko's face was as red as a tomato, Atsuko was gawking, Kouichi's eyes were as wide as saucers, and the only person who seemed to have any sense of calm was Kouji, who slowly grabbed a cell phone from the desk then backed away. "Keiko left her cell phone," he said quietly. "Um. Let's go."

"Right," the brunette said, backing out of the room with Kouji, turning off the light and shutting the door behind them.

Atsuko began giggling, honestly thinking that the whole situation was hilarious.

Kouichi liked that about her.

"Does this look okay on me?" Izumi asked, turning to her friend as she tried on her third dress.

"It does," Keiko said as she curled her hair. "Just like the other two. You won't know anybody there. It's just my family."

"This is the first time I've ever been to a super formal restaurant," Izumi said. "I want to look smoking hot."

Keiko laughed. "Well, I think the second one looked the best on you."

"You think?" Izumi unzipped the dress and slipped into the second one again. "Why do you have so many dresses anyway?"

Keiko smiled. "Ayaka and I like to go shopping."

"Rich bitch."

"Dumb blonde."

"Big ears."

"Big tits."

Izumi grinned. "Touche."

"Do I really have big ears?" Keiko asked, looking wounded as she stared at them.

Izumi shrugged. "They're not _small, _but they're not _huge _on the same token. Like your boobs."

Keiko huffed. "Fine. See if I let your borrow anymore clothes."

Izumi smirked and turned towards the Digimon on the bed. "What do you guys think?"

"I like this one," Salamon said. "I like the color."

"I like it too!" Lopmon added, nodding. "You look pretty!"

"Thanks!" Izumi turned towards the mirror. "How should I wear my hair?"

"Well, we only have fifteen more minutes. If you hadn't spent all your time in the mirror…"

Izumi yelped and stuck the flat iron into the outlet. "Oh crap!"

**

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**

"Saburo, we only have fifteen minutes," Akira gasped against his boyfriend's mouth.

Saburo grinned and ground his thigh against his lover's erection. "So? I can get you off in that time." He popped the button on his dress pants, slipping his hand beneath his boxers. "Door locked?"

"Ah…" Akira writhed before looking at the door. "Yes, it's locked."

"Perfect." He began stroking, pulling gasps and groans from Akira's lips. He bit gently at the rim of his ear, licking it after. "I'm gonna fuck you so hard tonight."

Akira groaned, gripping at the sheets as Saburo tugged at his erection.

"I'm gonna make you scream so loud that-"

"Boys, are you almost ready?" Aya called from outside the room, jiggling the doorknob.

"Yes!" Saburo called back. "We've still got fifteen minutes!"

"Just making sure!" Footsteps walked down the hall.

"God she's annoying," Saburo muttered, pausing in his stroking.

"She was just asking if we were ready," Akira said quietly.

"I can't stand her. She butts into everything."

"It's not really like you to get that angry over something like that." Akira sat up, deciding to ignore his hard-on in favor of rubbing Saburo's shoulder. "You're usually the patient one. If you go into it thinking negative thoughts about her, you're only going to feel worse about it."

"Yeah, I know." Saburo sighed. "It's just tough. Like she's trying to be my mom or something."

"I don't think she ever wanted to." Akira kissed his cheek. "Nobody could replace your mom, anyway, you know."

Saburo smiled, pushing his forehead against Akira's. "You're right. Sorry if I've been irritable."

He shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry if I was being all philosophical."

"It's sweet." Saburo moved back over his lover, taking his withering erection into his hand and pumping again. "And just for being so great, you get to come twice."

"Sure you can make me in… twelve minutes?"

Saburo grinned. "I've made you do a lot more in twelve minutes, sugar."

**

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**

Keiko couldn't help but notice how close to her old family they all looked. Of course, the four children, but then again, there was Izumi there, who looked quite a bit like Ayame. Blonde hair, green eyes, a bright smile. It made Keiko's heart swell to the point that-

"Keiji is so sexy," Izumi whispered into Keiko's ear, causing the brunette to blanch.

"That's so gross, Izumi."

"I mean, he's always been hot, but in that suit… God. Ayaka's so lucky. I bet he gives it to her good."

"That's nasty!" Keiko wailed.

"How do your teeth feel, Izumi?" Naoki asked, flashing her a smile.

_~Why do all of the Takishitas have to be so sexy? Hell, all of the people here are sexy… Akira's hotter than hell, Ayaka's beautiful, Aya, as much of a bitch as she is, just so happens to be gorgeous... And I'm not half bad myself-~_

"Izumi?" Saburo called. "You okay?"

"Ah…" Izumi grinned. "I'm alright! My teeth feel much better, thank you."

"Good," Naoki said. "Wouldn't want anybody feeling sick."

"Speaking of sick, Keiji, you look pale," Saburo said. "You alright."

The middle child of the Takishita brother gave a strained smile. "I'm fine, Saburo."

"You sure you're-"

"I'm fine."

**

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**

Halfway through dinner, Keiji cleared his throat, catching the attention of his everybody at the table. "I… there was a reason I brought you all out here tonight." He looked at Ayaka. "This person next to me… she's been one of the most important people to me in the past few years through all the stuff that's happened. She's never judged me, hurt me intentionally, or…" He sighed. "I'm not great about talking about feelings, but this woman… she's made me a better man."

He got out of his seat, pulling a ring box out of his pocket and getting onto one knee. "Ayaka, make me the happiest man in the world. Will you marry me?" He opened the box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring which glittered in the lights.

The brunette above him stared for several seconds, her lip trembling as she nodded. "Yes."

Keiji got up and wrapped his arms around the girl, kissing the top of her head and thanking her, thanking God for her.

Izumi was grinning widely. _~Lucky bitch.~_

**

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"Naoki…"

The eldest Takishita turned around, smiling lightly at Keiji, who was standing in the doorway of the office, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Yeah, Keiji?"

"I want you to be my best man." Keiji smirked. "I shouldn't even invite you, because you didn't invite me to your wedding, but… I can't imagine it without you. I want you to be there. So… will you?"

Naoki stood up, walking over to Keiji and embracing him. "Thank you Keiji. You have no idea how much this means to me. Of course I'll be your best man."

"Good." Keiji hugged back. "'Cause if you weren't, Matsui would have to be, and I'm positive he likes Ayaka's engaged sister."

**

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"So why exactly are we all here?" Junpei asked, looking around at the ex-Digidestined (even Tomoki) as well as Tamotsu and Michiko. "Is something wrong?"

"I haven't been completely honest with you guys," Keiko murmured, fiddling with the photo album on her lap. "There're some things I think I should tell you."

Tamotsu tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean, cutie?"

Keiko took a deep breath and put the album on the table. "I… I had a sister named Ayame."

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The. End. :D

And for my question this time…

Your favorite three couples?

I know I ask this a lot, but it seems to change with you all quite a bit. xD

Thanks for reading this super short chapter, but I promise the next'll be longer! :D


	17. High Above Me

Okay, so this is the revelation. Keiko won't be telling everything about Ayame, but you'll get a general idea. (: You'll learn more about her later in the story, friends. :D

Since NOBODY requested in the last batch of reviews, I gave it to Sydney. She wanted the girls to partayyy. :D

OH. And the last question was worth… (drum roll…) 0 Tamotsu Tokens! :D Except Dephs14 gets 1. Because he/she was good enough to tell me why. :D

Like I said, only certain questions will be worth them. xD

For this week's question… Hmmm… What's something you'd like your favorite character to do?

OKAY.

Review time! :D

**Review replies to chapter 16:**

**Dephs14: **I love Saburo and Akira. Mmm, yaoi… Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **Lol, thanks! I try. xD Eww, I find the peanut butter-mint marshmallows gross. xD Keiji and Ayaka are so cute. I love them so. :D WOW. I'm glad you liked it! I had fun writing it, too. xD Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**D4RKWR173R5: **Hehe, thank you! :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **You didn't GET any tokens son! HAHAHA. Junpei's a bitch, man. But I LOVE HIM! xD Keiji's a good man. But then again, it's really YOUR wedding, so you'll be able to plan some aspects. xD YOU LOVE IZUMI, DON'T DENY ITTT. Yeah, yeah, damn school. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Immortal Fallen Radiance: **I know! Keiji's a good boy. :D Atsuko is strange… Maybe the mystery will be solved! I love Takumi too! It's so sweet! But in this story, unfortunately it's more sad. D: Technically, I'm not of age either, but it's whatever. xD I'm mature for 15, after all! Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **It was actually slower! xD But that's life. I know! It's about darn time! Junpei's being a little brat. D: But I have to admit, he's probably in my top three favorites for THIS week. Along with Tomoki and Michiko. xD Oh, ice skating's really for all ages. xD Well they're not OFFICIALLY together, but I think we've all got the idea. ;D Ayaka and Keiji's marriage will hopefully make everything better! :D You might be! I'm only 15. xD I really liked last chapter too! Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**EclipseWiccan29: **Thanks! And don't worry about it! It happens. :D Nice couples! I'm huge on Takumi too! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Caliboy: **That's alright! :D I know! He's SOOO sexy. xD I love Keiji and Ayaka too. So cute. :D I LOVE SABURO AND AKIRA! Yaoi… Yum. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

OH AND GAISSS! Check out GirlsLikeeBoys' youtube channel! You can see how sexy she is. ;) *Has super sexy best friends.* And check out her stories, damn it. One's a spin off of this story! :D

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"I don't really know where to start," Keiko said softly, looking around at her friends. "I'm sorry that I kept it from you guys for so long, first of all. I guess that since I didn't tell you all earlier, I was afraid that you'd get mad at me, so I kept holding it off until Kouichi found out. And then Kouji."

There was silence and then Junpei asked, "Keiko. What happened to Ayame?"

The brunette looked down at her lap. "I was seven years old when she died. My brother went into her room to wake her up for school, and she… wouldn't. It was Keiji." She glanced around again, nervous. "Sometimes, I think that's the reason he was so messed up in high school. That, and he blames himself for killing our parents."

Again, her eyes lowered themselves and she began picking at the pillow on her lap. "He thinks he did it, because he had a lacrosse tournament that the three of us were going to miss because we were in Paris. He got a phone call, and his coach told him that there were going to be scouts there. He called my mom and dad and asked them to come home early. They did, and our plane crashed."

Izumi put a hand over her mouth, looking shocked. "It's not his fault. How could he blame himself for something like that?"

"I'm not sure. He's the only one that thinks that way. I don't though, and neither do my brothers. It was just a coincidence." She sighed. "But back to Ayame… The two of us were really close. I had a really bad stutter for a long time. It was only around her, that I wouldn't do it. I cried all the time when we were little, too. Literally, it was at least once a day, and that was on a good day. I cried over everything, when my parents or brothers would fight, if I scratched my finger, anything. Ayame used to try to make me stop."

She smiled. "She was ten months younger than me, but she always acted like she was older. You just got this vibe that she was an old soul, you know?"

Michiko smiled lightly. "What was she like?"

"She loved being outside and she loved animals. She sang a lot. And she was really smart. She got promoted into my grade."

"I remember her!" Tamotsu exclaimed. "She was in my kindergarten class."

Keiko laughed. "I didn't think you'd remember her at all!"

He smiled sheepishly. "I don't remember kindergarten that well, to be honest."

Keiko opened the photo album, pointing to one of the first pictures. "That's her."

Kouji tilted his head at the little girl in the picture, before looking at Izumi. "She… looks a lot like Izumi."

The blonde blinked, shocked. "She… really does."

"That's why I wanted to be your friend so badly in the Digital World. Because you reminded me so much of her. You guys look exactly the same and act so similar, it's just uncanny." Keiko ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry if that's weird."

There was a long stretch of silence, in which everybody wanted to ask the same thing. It was Tamotsu that said it.

"Keiko… How did Ayame die?"

The brunette took a deep breath. "She loved climbing trees."

**

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"_Ayame, you shouldn't climb so high up!" Keiko called, looking nervous as her sister clambered up the tall tree in the side yard. "It's way too tall!"_

"_It's okay, Keiko!" the blonde called back, grinning down at her sister. "I'm very good at trees!"_

"_Please!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm scared!"_

"_If you're scared all the time, you'll never get anywhere!"_

"_I don't like you being up there!" Keiko sobbed and wiped at her eyes. "I want you to come back!"_

"_It's okay! Really, Keiko!"_

_By now, Keiko couldn't even see her sister. She had gotten so high up, her voice sounded far away, too. _

"_Ayame, you shouldn't be so high in that tree!" She was crying in earnest now. "Please come down! I'm afraid that you'll-"_

_There was a loud crack, and a yelp, and Ayame fell out of the tree, the branch beneath her having broken. She hit the ground, her head bouncing off the hard dirt and Keiko cried out and ran over._

"_Ayame!" She got down onto her knees, trembling as she shook her sister. "Wake up!" She kept calling to her until the blonde murmured and her eyes fluttered open. "Ayame, are you okay?"_

"_I'm okay." She sat up and rubbed the back of her head, wincing slightly. "It's just a bump, Keiko. It's really fine. See?" Ayame smiled._

_Keiko nodded, still shaking. "O-Okay. Only if you're sure."_

"_I'm positive." She grinned brightly. "I'm just gonna sit here for a second, okay?"_

"_I'll stay with you."_

**

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**

"We went to bed about a half hour later," Keiko said, staring at the carpet. "They say when you have a concussion, you shouldn't go to bed until a few hours, because you won't wake up in the morning. Ayame didn't wake up in the morning."

Michiko was crying silently, Junpei's arm wrapped around her. Izumi was in the same state, and Kouji had a hand on her thigh, comforting her as best as he could. Tomoki looked shocked, while Tamotsu and Kouichi looked sympathetic.

"I stopped stuttering and crying all the time," Keiko murmured. "Ayame didn't want me to, so I forced myself to stop. Keiji was really messed up, like I said. He didn't talk for two weeks and he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night with horrible dreams. Naoki was the only one who could really help him…"

"It wasn't your fault, Keiko," Tamotsu said suddenly.

She took a deep breath. "I don't blame myself for what happened. I never did. I mean, I didn't know that she had a concussion, and I thought she was okay. And I know that if I _had _known, I would've told my parents."

Silence again. Nobody said anything, nobody knew what to say. This was still shocking to them.

Keiko giggled suddenly. "Thank you all for hearing me out." She scratched the back of her head. "I hope you don't think any differently of me for not telling you sooner. Sorry about that. Don't feel like you need to walk on eggshells, either. I'm okay, and I was okay even before I told you guys. I've gotten over it, and even though it wasn't easy, I did. I actually feel a little bit better now that I've told you guys."

Izumi stood up from her seat and walked over to Keiko, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek. "I'm glad," she whispered.

Keiko smiled and buried her face into Izumi's shoulder, nodding. "Me too."

**

* * *

**

"Keiko told everybody about Ayame tonight," Saburo murmured as he watched Akira towel off from his bed. "That's why everybody was over."

"Really?" Akira turned. "Good for her. It's about time she told somebody."

"I know, I'm happy for her." Saburo smiled. "I don't know why you even bother showering. I'm just gonna make a mess of you anyway."

Akira shrugged and smiled lightly. "Maybe I just like being a pain in the ass."

"You really _are. _I'm still sore from last night."

"I guess this means you're topping tonight?"

Saburo grinned. "Guess it does."

**

* * *

**

"You think it's bad?" Kouji asked, hiding his wince as Tamotsu prodded at his ankle, which was beginning to swell up.

"Not bad," Tamotsu said. "You just tweaked it, really. I'd say you'll be fine by next week if you stay off it."

"Well, aren't you Mr. paramedic." Kouji smirked.

Tamotsu grinned sheepishly. "My dad's a doctor. I learn some things from him."

"You think I'll be alright for the first day of team practice?" Kouji asked.

"Definitely. You'll probably just be sore in the beginning."

"Right."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to check you that hard," the blonde said, looking guilty.

Kouji shrugged. "It's fine. Don't be afraid to check hard at all."

"Still, it was only practice," he muttered, his cheeks pink. "That was kind of shitty of me to do."

"Don't feel bad. It's fine."

"Alright." Tamotsu helped the raven up. "You still riding home with me?"

"Yep. That okay?"

"It's fine. I'm just gonna warn you though, my mom's driving us. She's really… eccentric."

**

* * *

**

"So how far have you and Junpei gone?" Izumi asked, smiling.

Michiko spluttered, accidentally tugging on a piece of Keiko's hair, causing the girl to yelp. Atsuko began giggling. "Ah… what was that, Izumi?" Michiko asked slowly, her brown eyes doe-like.

"I was just wondering how far you and Junpei have gone. You're a pretty sexy couple, after all. So I just thought that-"

"W-We haven't had sex yet, if that's what you're asking," Michiko said quickly, laughing lightly.

"I bet he'd be good in the sack," Keiko said, smiling lightly.

"I bet Tamotsu would be too," Atsuko said, grinning and winking.

The brunette ducked her head. "Yeah, well he's good at everything."

"Are you guys drinking tonight?" Michiko asked, running the straightener through Keiko's hair. "I might have some, but I don't plan on getting wasted."

"Same here," Keiko said. "I got drunk once, and I'm never going back. It wasn't fun. Keiji had to come and get me."

"Did you get in trouble?" Michiko asked. "You never told me this story."

"Keiji said he wouldn't tell Naoki if I did his laundry for two months." Keiko grinned. "This is my last week of doing it."

"I'm probably gonna drink," Izumi said, shrugging. "It's Saturday, and I'm not working tomorrow."

"Where do you work, Izumi?" Atsuko asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I work at the video game store," the blonde said proudly.

"And I work at the bakery downtown," Michiko said. "Which sucks. The hours are horrible."

"What about you, Atsuko? Are you going to drink?" Keiko asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm gonna pass, I think. I'm working really early tomorrow," Atsuko said. She smiled. "Actually, this is my first party."

"Really?" Izumi blinked. "Come to think of it, I really haven't seen you outside of school at all, besides in cheerleading."

"I work a lot, and I'm taking a lot of classes." Atsuko giggled. "So I'm kind of a homebody."

"Well after tonight, you won't be a homebody anymore."

**

* * *

**

"Who's your friend, Tamotsu?" The woman in the driver's seat of the car grinned at the raven.

"This is Kouji. I think you might've met him once before," Tamotsu murmured, buckling his seatbelt. "And Kouji, this is my mom."

"You can call me Madoka. Or mom! Whichever you'd like!"

Tamotsu laughed awkwardly. "I think Madoka's just fine, mom…"

"It's nice to meet you," Kouji said. "Thank you for the ride home."

"No problem! It's nice to see Tamotsu's handsome friends! I'm sure all the girls in school are all over you."

Kouji smirked. _~Well, that is true. But I'm going to be a little mean today.~ _"That's true, I guess. But most of the girls are all over Tamotsu. He's quite the womanizer."

Tamotsu gawked and turned in his seat, glaring at Kouji. "Wha-"

"I knew it!" His mother giggled happily. "My little boy is so cute! Hope you're not two-timing Keiko, honey. She's a good girl!"

"No, no!" Tamotsu waved his arms frantically, his face red, a rarity for the teen. "Trust me, I'm all for Keiko! And the girls aren't like that! They know I'm not-"

"Don't be modest, Tamotsu." Kouji grinned at the blonde. "You know how it is."

"How _what _is?" he cried, embarrassed.

"Oh, Tamotsu! Maybe in your senior year you'll get voted most handsome, or nicest smile! Ooh, what about best butt?"

"_Mom!_"

**

* * *

**

"Hey, isn't that Junpei?" Atsuko asked Keiko, tilting her head to the side.

Keiko blinked and looked off to the left, surprised to see Junpei standing there, looking pretty drunk. "Hey, it is him. I wonder what he's doing here. Michiko told us he was going to a different party."

"I think he just got here, otherwise we would've noticed him earlier, right?" Atsuko took a sip of her soda.

"You're probably right."

A blonde girl who looked to be Junpei's age staggered over to him, grabbing onto his arm and draping herself over his shoulder.

"That's Kotone. She's on the cheerleading squad with me and Izumi," Atsuko said quietly. "I wonder why she's all over Junpei like that."

"He's not really pushing her off either," Keiko murmured. "But he's so drunk he probably doesn't even know what's going on."

"I hope Michiko doesn't see it."

Just as Atsuko said those words, Michiko came storming over, grabbing her coat. Izumi was behind her, looking upset. "Come on, guys. We're leaving."

Keiko and Atsuko had no objections, and they walked out behind the two. Michiko said nothing the entire walk home, and neither did the other girls. Once they got back into Keiko's room, and the door was shut behind them, Michiko pushed her face into her hands and began sobbing, sliding down the wall and pulling her knees to her chest.

Izumi got down to her knees next to her, quietly asking if the auburn haired girl wanted to talk about it.

Michiko nodded, sniffling and allowing Izumi to lead her to the bed, where her other two friends were waiting. Her breath hitched as she began to speak. "I just get really insecure, because th-that girl he was with in the party used to be his girlfriend, and they had sex and… and I never feel like I'm enough because he n-never really wants to do a-anything with me because he's _always _embarrassed and I try really hard, but I don't have big boobs and I'm not tall and I don't h-have blue eyes and I'm s-so plain."

She wiped at her eyes. "I don't even know w-why he's with me once in a while, because I'm not putting out for him, and he gets annoyed with me a lot. B-But I really like him. I love him. A-And he told me that he loves me too, but I don't believe it, because that girl is closer to his age, and they probably have better things to do and talk about, like h-how stupid l-l-little girls like m-m-me-"

She couldn't finish her sentence as a fresh wave of sadness washed over her and she began sobbing again. Izumi, who was the closest one to her, having been sitting on her right the entire time pulled the girl into a hug, rubbing her back.

(A/N: Poor Michiko. I'm sure Caliboy could give you some lovin'. xD)

**

* * *

**

"Got your guys' ice cream," Saburo said as he came into the room, a bag in his hand. "The store was closing, but I managed to bribe them into letting me grab a few pints." He smiled and set the bag down on the bed.

"Thank you, Saburo," Keiko said, smiling happily and handing the respective ice creams out to her friends. "You sure you and Akira don't want to join us for a movie?"

"Positive," the brunette said. "We're getting ready for bed."

"You mean hot gay sex?" Izumi asked, grinning and winking.

The teen's face turned red. "You're such a pain in the ass."

"No, obviously you're the pain in the ass," Keiko said, laughing. "I saw Akira limping last week."

Saburo looked horrified and embarrassed. "Shut up…" he muttered, walking out of the room, wounded.

"You're brother's so cute," Atsuko said, smiling and giggling. "So's Akira. They don't seem to get a lot of flak in school. But then again, I never would have guessed they're gay, because they act totally chill in school."

"That's because they never told anybody," Keiko said quietly. "Besides their closest friends. They don't really follow that stereotype that most people think gay people are. But I don't blame them. I don't think I'd tell anybody either, especially in high school."

"Good point," Michiko said. "I don't blame them either."

"You think they'll ever get married?" Atsuko asked dreamily.

"Maybe!" Keiko laughed, smiling brightly. "I really hope they do! They've been dating forever, it seems."

"I love yaoi," Izumi said, sighing and falling back onto the bed.

**

* * *

**

When Keiko woke up in the morning, she immediately went to the bathroom. After she finished, she went to the mirror and screamed. Her hair…

Was pink.

She stormed out of the room, ignoring the stares she got from her friends and fell down the stairs, which were covered in butter. "Keiji!" she screeched, struggling to get off the floor. "Get out here, now!"

"You think I did this?" he demanded, his own hair green. "How the _fuck _am I supposed to go to work?"

"Did you put butter on the stairs?" she cried, her back hurting.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't dye anybody's hair!"

"You guys shouldn't have been off-guard on April Fool's day," Saburo said, smirking in his doorway. "You guys know how seriously we take this holiday."

"God damn it!" Keiji looked like he was ready to kill somebody. "What else did you do while we weren't looking?"

"Well, I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I slipped aphrodisiacs into Ayaka's dinner last night…"

Keiji blinked. "You really did that? Hey, thanks a lot man."

Keiko gawked. "You're sick!" She glared at Saburo. "How am I supposed to go to school like this?"

"It's only hair paint," Saburo said dismissively. "It'll was off in about a week."

"You look like Sakura from Naruto!" Izumi called from the top of the stairs, laughing giddily.

Keiko groaned. "You suck, Saburo."

"That I do, Keiko."

**

* * *

**

"It's about time you woke up," Saburo commented at breakfast, standing up and running his fingers through his lover's hair and smiling gently at him. "You need to see my work."

Akira blinked blearily and leapt at him, pinning him down to the ground, and humping his leg.

Everybody at the table was shocked. Izumi, Michiko and Atsuko had nosebleeds within seconds.

"What the hell, Akira!" Saburo groaned as his boyfriend nipped at his neck.

"You thought the aphrodisiacs were well hidden in the bathroom," Keiji said calmly, sipping his coffee and watching cartoons on the TV on the kitchen counter. "I'll have you know that I slipped twice as much of the aphrodisiacs you put into Ayaka's dinner into Akira's."

"Uhn!" Akira pushed his face into Saburo's neck as he came violently in his own pants.

"You suck, Keiji." Saburo slung his boyfriend over his shoulder and ran out of the room.

"You'll be sucking in a few minutes, there, buddy," Keiji called, his eyes not leaving the screen.

Izumi had fainted by now.

**

* * *

**

"Keiko!"

"Ah! Don't scare me like that Veenomon!" Keiko put her hand over her heart, trying to calm herself down.

"The paint washed out of your hair," her Digimon counterpart commented, smiling.

"Oh, right!" Keiko giggled. "And it only took five days!"

"There's something I need to tell you about. It's got to do with the seal…"

Keiko blinked. "What's that?"

"I don't know how to say this, Keiko," Veenomon said softly, running a glowing hand through her blonde hair. "But the seal… It's been destroyed."

**

* * *

**

"Well, Light, it's nice to see you."

Kouji spun around, crying out as he was smashed across the face with Beelzemon's gun. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he demanded, holding his cheek.

"The seal has been destroyed!" Beelzemon kicked Kouji in the gut, knocking him to the ground. "And they've allowed me to come out and let you all know about it! I bet you would've loved to see the pathetic look on Takuya and Agunimon's face before we destroyed them for good."

"You fucker!" Kouji cried, merging with Lobomon and charging at the Demon Lord with his swords out.

Beelzemon ducked under the attack and kicked Kouji again, this time so hard that the raven was sent a few feet into the air before hitting the ground. "What you imbeciles don't realize, is that when the seal is broken, we come out even stronger! I don't think your little Ophanimon realized this, but they've sealed us before, and it failed!"

He lifted Kouji, who was back in his human form, up by the neck, smirking at him. "Really, they've picked some pathetic 'warriors'."

"Passion Punch!"

Beelzemon growled and dropped Kouji to the ground, annoyed that he'd been punched in the back like that. "Love. And mini-Cherubimon and mini-Seraphimon. How'd you know to find me here?"

The brunette-turned-blonde clenched her fist. "I think you should be more worried that it's two against one, now."

"Well, don't get too angry, little one." He pinched Keiko's cheek and the teen swatted his hand away. "I just came here to let Light, here know. I'm not interested in a fight."

"If you weren't interested, why'd you hurt Kouji so bad?" Patamon demanded from Keiko's shoulder.

Beelzemon grinned and shrugged, grinning crookedly. "He interests me, I suppose." He saluted them. "Though I must be leaving. Plotting against the Digital and Human worlds takes time, you know? See you around." He disappeared, and Keiko went back into her human form, getting down onto her knees and helping him to sit up.

"You okay?"

He groaned, nodding. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, you have a broken rib." Veenomon appeared next to him, suddenly. "I'll take care of it for you!"

"It's fine, I said," Kouji muttered, annoyed that he'd had to be rescued.

"Don't be an idiot." Lobomon was seated in front of him. "Let her take care of you."

"Lobomon!" Veenomon exclaimed excitedly, smiling at him. "How've you been?"

"Fine." He shrugged. "You know about the seal?"

Veenomon nodded sadly. "I say we all go retrieve the bodies right now. Give them a proper burial…"

Keiko lowered her eyes sadly, saying nothing.

"I'm going to have to set your rib," the blonde Digimon said. "It's going to hurt pretty badly. You might want to hold somebody's hand."

Keiko put her hand out and Kouji took hold of it, taking a deep breath as Veenomon positioned her hands. "One… two… three."

There was a loud crack and Kouji gritted his teeth against a scream as he clutched at Keiko's hand.

"Sorry." The Digimon managed to take the pain away after a moment or two more of healing. "All done."

Kouji sat up. "You think we should get the bodies?"

"You know those necklaces you two are wearing?" Lobomon asked. The teens nodded. "They act as a gateway between the seal and the real world. Since the seal's been destroyed, it'll only be open for 24 hours. The two of you will need to go back to the train station and use your necklaces to get the bodies out of the seal. They'll be separate, since… since they're both dead now."

Kouji lowered his eyes. "Say the word, and we'll go."

"Come on." Veenomon stood and held her hand out for Keiko. "We'll go now."

**

* * *

**

Aaaand so ends the Asashi and Ayame Arc. And now we'll be going into the Takuya Retrieval Arc.

And guys…? Don't get your hopes up too much… I really don't want any flames. D:


	18. Here He Lies

**Ughhhh. So tired. Aaaah…**

**Review replies to chapter 17 (they're SO short! Sorry!):**

**Caliboy: **I know! I liked that chapter too! Lol, you kinky son of a bitch, you. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Girlslikeeboys: **Knowing him, he did. And you can't request things that are already going to happen. And you will, whore. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Celestial Writer: **I know! Luckily, she's gotten over it. I know. I almost cried writing this chapter as well. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Dephs14: **I know. Poor little girl. I feel so bad for Ayame. She's a doll. Tomoki was just silent, and Kouji HAS to go, because he and Takuya are BFFs and I flipped a coin to pick between Keiko and Izumi. xD Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Immortal Fallen Radiance: **That's so embarrassing! I would skip school for a week. Ooh, a Duskmon fan? I'll see what I can do… Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Jennison Silverye: **I would too. But Keiko's pretty strong willed. Tamotsu's mom is sooo cool. xD Maybeh I'll do that in the future! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**ThankfulMemories: **Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter!

**D4RKWR73R5: **I know! Saburo's so funny. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Empyrea: **Thanks! I adore Keiji as well. Thanks a bunch for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**EclipseWiccan29: **Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter!

Caliboy and GirlsLikeeBoys both get one Tamotsu token. Because their ideas were such gold. :Db

My question: How do you guys imagine Tamotsu and Michiko in your heads, as far as looks go? (:

Please guys. I know this is all sad and whatnot, but no flames.

**

* * *

**

"So are you guys sure this is safe?" Izumi asked softly, staring at the portal.

"Positive," Kouji answered. "Lobomon and Veenomon told us that we'll be in the Digital World for about a night. That would be three seconds in your guys' time."

"That's not bad," Kouichi said with a strained smile.

"So we just have to wait?" Tomoki grumbled, not pleased with the fact that he had to be there.

"Obviously," Junpei huffed. "Three seconds isn't a long time."

"Whatever."

"Alright. We'll be right back," Keiko said, looking at the gold portal and taking a deep breath, jumping in. Kouji jumped in right after.

**

* * *

**

"Where exactly are we supposed to find him?" Keiko asked, looking around. It was exactly how she'd remembered, minus the holes in the ground and the evil Digimon.

"The place where he got his spirit. There're some Trailmon tracks right here, so we should be able to follow them to get to Takuya."

"Right."

The two walked along the tracks for what felt like years. It was probably only three or four hours, since by the time they got to the station the moon was high in the air.

Luckily for them, a train was already in the station. It was Worm.

"Hey, Worm!" Keiko called, waving to him and running over to the train.

"Human kids!" he cried, grinning. "The two of you sure look different. Where've you guys been all this time?"

"In the human world," Kouji muttered. "We're here to…" He glanced meaningfully at Keiko, who shrugged. "Retrieve Takuya and Agunimon's bodies. I'm sure you heard what happened."

"Sure did, kid. Sorry." The doors opened with a hiss. "Well get on in here. I'll bring you two wherever you need to go."

**

* * *

**

"Are you okay, Kouji?" Keiko asked quietly, blinking owlishly at the raven from across the aisle.

"What do you think?"

She sighed. "Sorry."

Kouji groaned. "No. I am. I just… I guess seeing the body's gonna be like the final straw. He's really… gone."

"It's going to be hard, but at the same time, wouldn't you rather have the closure of knowing he's been buried?"

"Honestly, I had enough closure already. This is like starting fresh all over again."

"I get what you mean." She wanted to grab his hand or something, but they were far away and she wasn't sure if contact was something he wanted or needed right now. She didn't know what else to say.

"Getting off the subject," Kouji muttered, "When are Keiji and Ayaka getting married?"

Keiko tried to smile, but she couldn't manage it. "A couple of months. They want to get married in June."

"Will they be able to plan everything within two months?" Kouji raised an eyebrow.

"I think they'll manage. Keiji and Ayaka are really organized and good with time."

"Hn."

Silence.

Kouji looked out the window, looking at his reflection for a moment before his gaze roved out to the landscape.

"I spy with my little eye something blue."

Kouji turned and stared at the brunette, only to see her sigh sadly. "Never mind. We just passed it."

The raven smiled.

**

* * *

**

"So where exactly do we go?" Keiko asked, looking around.

"That way." Veenomon materialized next to her. "See that wall right there? You two need to use your necklaces to open it."

"And then what?" Kouji muttered. "It seems too simple."

"Retrieving a body isn't supposed to be hard," Lobomon said. "There'll be another portal with your necklaces, you should be able to make Takuya and Agunimon come out. You'll be able to take that same portal home."

"Easy enough," Keiko said. "Let's just get this over with."

Kouji barely registered his words. His legs were shaking and he felt sick to his stomach. How was he supposed to move?

"Kouji? Are you alright?" Keiko asked. They were already at the wall.

"I can't do this," he gasped.

"We have to. Do it for Takuya," Keiko said softly. "Please. He would want this."

Kouji stepped forward, standing next to Keiko and the wall folded into itself.

The walk down the long, dark cave-hall was the longest, most suspenseful moment of Kouji's life. He was about to see his best friend again, only he would be dead.

He nearly fell onto his face, but he managed to catch himself before.

"It's okay Kouji," Keiko whispered. "Stay strong. We're almost there. You can close your eyes if you'd like."

So he did. He closed them for a minute and Keiko held his arm, presumably leading him to wherever they had to go. They stopped, and Kouji felt his heart racing so fast and hard he thought he was having a heart attack.

He heard something drop to the ground and Keiko's hand tightened on his arm. He didn't open his eyes. If he did, he knew he would've gone unconscious.

"T-Takuya…" Keiko said softly and he wanted to drop dead to the ground, just like his best friend was.

"Wow, what a mindfuck."

Kouji's eyes popped open, and looked to the right, where Keiko was holding his arm. She had a hand over her eyes and her cheeks were bright red. Did she just change her voice or something, because-

"Sleeping like that really gives you a migraine when you wake up."

Kouji spun and looked to the ground, and there was Takuya, alone, sitting up and looking around blearily. He was…

Alive.

"Takuya!" He sprinted forward, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around the teen, hugging the life out of him.

"Kouji!" Takuya grinned and returned the hug. "You look totally different! Well, the same I mean, but you grew! You too, Keiko!" He laughed and ran his hands down his chest and stomach. "Wow, a real body!" He looked over at Keiko. "Hey, aren't you gonna come over and say hi, too?"

Keiko was still planted to the same spot, her face even redder and her hand still covering her eyes. "Y-You're… naked…"

"Huh?" He looked down at himself. "Wow, I grew in more places than just my biceps!"

Kouji almost rolled his eyes at the remark, but he couldn't find the strength to find Takuya annoying. "I can't believe you're back. Everybody forgot about you once you died… or disappeared… or whatever. It was like you never existed."

"Aww. How could you forget a hottie like this?" Takuya grinned and pointed to himself.

"C-Could you put something on?" Keiko asked. "I want to hug you but you-"

"Come on, I bet you and Tamotsu have had sex by now! You should be used to the male physique!"

Keiko sputtered something intelligible before crying, "Kouji! Please give him something to wear!"

The raven smirked at the brunette's expense, pulling his jeans off.

"Wow, you're such a good guy." Takuya grinned. "Giving me your jeans-"

"I'm going to give you my boxers. I'll just go commando and you're gonna have to deal with wearing them home."

"Fine…"

After a few moments, Kouji called to Keiko that they were done and she opened her eyes, smiling and running over to Takuya, whose arms were open to her. She fell into the hug, breathing in his scent. "We missed you so much."

"I missed you guys too." Takuya grinned at Kouji. "So when're we going back home?"

**

* * *

**

"Takuya!" Kouichi cried, surprised to see Takuya sprawl out on the ground with Keiko and Kouji.

"Hey guys!" the brunette exclaimed excitedly.

He greeted all of his friends, saving Izumi for last. He couldn't resist running up to her and wrapping his arms tightly around her smaller frame. "Izumi…"

The blonde said nothing, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt something warm and liquid on his chest. "What the fuck?" He pulled away and stared at the blood on his skin. "You're bleeding Izumi!"

Izumi had her hand over her nose, looking embarrassed. "You've really changed."

Takuya grinned and laughed giddily. "I've only been alive for twenty minutes and I've already given my first girl a nosebleed!"

The blonde smacked him on the shoulder. "Shut up! I'm not used to guys that look like you parading around in their boxers!"

"Guys that look like me?" He smirked.

"Yeah, what's that supposed to mean?" Junpei muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that I haven't seen a shirtless guy since last year!" Izumi flailed.

Takuya smiled. "Don't worry. I get you."

Kouji found only one thing wrong with Takuya being home.

He had competition.

**

* * *

**

"You're like an endless pit," Kouji muttered, staring languidly at the brunette as he stuffed his face with even more food.

"I've been gone for almost a year. I'm HUNGRY." He swallowed a hamburger whole, thankful for Keiko for buying him fifty bucks worth of McDonalds before Kouji brought him to his house.

"Quiet down. I don't want my dad waking up and seeing you-"

"Too late."

Kouji's heart stopped. How was he supposed to explain this random teen eating burger after burger in their house?

"Late night McDonalds run again, boys?" the man asked, tiredly walking to the sink to get a glass of water. "Who paid this time?"

"Uh… Keiko did," Kouji said slowly.

"What a surprise." He laughed. "I hope your parents know you're spending the night Takuya. Don't stay up too late, now. It's almost eleven and the two of you have school in the morning."

"I'll let them know," Takuya said, laughing awkwardly as the man walked out of the room with a wave.

"So… they all think you've been around all this time?" Kouji asked softly.

"I… I guess so."

"Call your parents. Then tomorrow we'll go to school tomorrow and see what people say."

"Alright." Takuya grabbed Kouji's cell phone, dialing the house phone number and praying that it hadn't changed.

"_Hello?"_

Takuya stared into space for a moment. "Dad…?"

"_Hey Takuya. You need a ride home?"_

He forced himself to speak. "I… I'm staying at Kouji's house."

"_Alright, bud. Make sure you get to school on time."_

"O-Okay… See you dad."

"_Bye, Takuya."_

"I love you, dad. So much."

A laugh. _"Love you too, Takuya."_

"Your dad answered the phone?" Kouji asked, shocked as Takuya hung up the phone.

"Yeah. I guess… he's alive," Takuya murmured.

**

* * *

**

"So tell me about everything," Takuya said from next to Kouji as they laid in bed.

"Like what?"

"I dunno. About everybody."

"Like our friends?" Kouji asked and Takuya nodded. "Tomoki doesn't really talk to us anymore… Uh, Junpei and Michiko have been dating for a while now."

"Oh yeah, they were dating when I left. How nice."

"They have some problems though. Junpei told me that they argue a lot. I guess all couples do, though. Kouichi is fine, too. He's talking to some girl now. Her name's Atsuko."

"Is she nice?"

"She's _really _nice. But… mysterious."

"Ooh, a mystery."

Kouji laughed softly. "Keiko's still dating Tamotsu."

"How's she been?"

"Pretty good. The two of us have become a little closer, too."

"Good."

"And Izumi's doing much better than the last time you saw her. She finally found closure."

"What about Tamotsu and Michiko? How're they doing after the Asashi thing?"

"Michiko's fine and Tamotsu's better too. He changed a little bit after it happened, but it's actually in a good way."

Takuya sighed happily and stared up at the ceiling. "I can _not _believe I'm saying this, but I'm so excited for school tomorrow. I want to see everybody so badly."

"I'm actually kinda excited too," Kouji said tiredly, shutting his eyes. "It's gonna be… interesting."

"I want to see everybody again. The teachers and the kids in my class… It's almost been a year. I wonder if Mihane and Souta are still together. And if Nanami finally got boobs. Hey, is Hotaka still an asshole?"

Kouji didn't answer.

Takuya turned onto his side. "Kou-"

The raven was sleeping, his eyes closed and his breathing slow and steady.

Takuya smiled. "Night, Kouji."

**

* * *

**

"I'm kind of nervous now."

Kouji peered over at Takuya, who was fidgeting as they walked up to the front of the school.

"Why? I thought you were excited."

The brunette smiled weakly. "I thought I was too. But now I'm ready to freak out. What if nobody likes the real me?"

"I think it's always been the real you. Just what it would be like if you'd never disappeared."

Takuya took a deep breath. "I think you're right. I just need to chill… Thanks Kouji."

"No problem."

"Here we go."

The two went in, and it all seemed to rush back at Takuya.

"Well, now we have the task of trying to find out where your locker is…" Kouji shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Well, let's check out the third floor and work our way-"

"No, it's this way," Takuya said quietly. "Come on."

The two walked down the hall, taking a right and finding a long stretch of lockers. He pointed to one on their immediate right and he immediately put in a combination, opening it.

"Wow. How'd you know that?" Kouji asked.

Takuya shrugged, grinning. "Don't ask me!"

"Takuya, I finally found you!"

The two turned and saw Tamotsu walking over, grinning and waving at them. "Hey Tamotsu!" Takuya exclaimed, hugging the blonde.

"Uh, hey." Tamotsu cleared his throat and the brunette let the blonde go. "I just wanted to make sure you two got the okay from your parents about the trip next week. Keiko told me the other day to ask the two of you."

"Keiko told you?" Kouji raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Tamotsu furrowed his brows. "You know, Keiko. My girlfriend. Brown hair, about this tall, cute little smile and-"

"Yeah, we know her." The raven rolled his eyes.

Tamotsu smirked. "Well, are you two ready?"

"I…" Takuya looked at Kouji wearily. "I forgot to ask my parents."

"Aww man." Tamotsu sighed, hunching over. "Don't forget to ask tonight, though! Or else I'll sick Pie on you!"

"…Pie?" the boys asked in unison.

"You know, the cat Takuya gave to me? Orange fur, 'bout this big, cute little ears and-"

"And you named her Pie?" Takuya asked, his eye twitching.

"Actually, _you _named _him_ Pie." Tamotsu tilted his head to the side. "You sure the two of you are okay? You're acting really weird and forgetful."

"Just a little tired." Takuya smiled. "We're okay, though."

"Takuya!"

The brunette turned around just in time to have somebody grab onto him and kiss him hard on the lips.

"Aah!" Takuya cried out.

"You didn't meet me at our usual spot, baby!" The girl in front of him had long chestnut hair worn in a side ponytail, gray eyes and large breasts. She was a little bit on the taller side for a girl, taller than Michiko, Keiko and probably a couple inches taller than Izumi and Atsuko, who were about the same height.

"Uh… sorry," Takuya said, blinking.

"Come on, Kouji. We'd better get to class."

As soon as they were around the corner, Kouji looked at Tamotsu in puzzlement. "Uh, who was that again?"

The blonde's eyes widened. "Seriously? Did you hit you head or something? That's Miyu, the bane of everybody's existence. That's Takuya's _girl_friend."

**

* * *

**

"Wow, Michiko. You look really pretty," Takuya commented, smiling at the girl sitting across from him in lunch. She'd really gotten gorgeous since he'd left. Izumi and Keiko too, of course, but this was the first time he was seeing her.

"Oh." She smiled happily. "Thanks, Takuya!"

Miyu, who was sitting next to Takuya, smiled tightly. "Yes, Michiko. Your skin's been looking really clear."

Keiko narrowed her eyes, as did Izumi. The two knew the meaning behind the words, even if everybody didn't.

Takuya just smiled happily. He still really liked Izumi, but Miyu was actually a really nice girl and she was cute too. Score!

"So the beach trip's all set?" Michiko asked, breaking the silence. "I'm so excited! I really can't wait. It's supposed to be in the eighties over the weekend we're going. Perfect! Right, Junpei?"

Junpei smiled nervously. "I'm pretty excited, too. From what I've heard, it's going to be a good time," he improvised slowly.

Tamotsu smiled. "It's gonna be nice the whole weekend too. The news said it'll be in the mid to high seventies the whole time."

"That's so amazing! I haven't been to the beach since I was a kid," Atsuko said, smiling giddily. "And even then, it was a beach at a lake!"

"You've never been to the ocean?" Kouichi asked.

She shook her head. "Never. But I can't wait!"

The bell rang at that moment and they all stood up, grabbing their books.

"Hey, Junpei? You mind walking with me to my next class?" Izumi asked, smiling. "Everyday, there's this guy who gropes me, and if he sees me walking with a big ape like you, he won't come near me."

"Sure." The brunette leaned down and kissed his girlfriend on the lips. "I'm still giving you a ride home?"

Michiko nodded. "Yes sir!"

He smiled and gave her another kiss. "See you."

Izumi smiled happily and as soon as they were around the corner, Junpei raised an eyebrow at her. "There's not a guy, is there?"

"No." The blonde sighed softly. "But there's something I really need to talk to you about."

"Alright. Shoot."

"Michiko, Atsuko, Keiko and I were at that party you were at last week… And we saw that girl, I forget her name, hanging off your arm. She seemed really intimate with you and you weren't exactly pushing her away."

"I vaguely remember. That's my ex-girlfriend."

"That's what Michiko said too. She was really upset when we got back home. She was crying."

Junpei stopped in the middle of the hallway. "She… was crying? Over me?"

"Well, yeah…" Izumi stopped as well. "You seem shocked. She really likes you, Junpei."

He sighed softly. "I still have trouble believing that a girl like Michiko's with a guy like me."

"Why's that?" The blonde blinked. "You're a great guy."

"Because a few years ago, I had to play the part of this jokester, who wasn't hurt when people commented on how I knew how to follow my nose or my stomach, who didn't feel like shit every time I said something about how much I loved food. I could never really be me."

He shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning back against a locker. "Every time I would hang out with the guys, I'd see how all the girls crowded around them and how I'd always be ignored. They'd always laugh at my jokes. But it never felt like they were laughing with me. It was more like they were laughing _at _me.

"I hated what I saw whenever I looked in the mirror. I just saw this tub of lard with a goofy smile. So I started to work out like crazy and began to act more like myself, hoping people would actually like me. And I guess it worked." He smiled bitterly at Izumi. "I was tired of being the funny fat one."

Izumi was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I… I never saw you like that, Junpei."

He laughed. "And that's why I liked you so much."

"I… I don't understand. Keiko never said anything like that. Why didn't you like her?"

"I dunno… I just… I felt like I needed somebody like you. I liked it when I'd rescue you and you gave me that look you get… it was like I actually had a chance."

"I'm sorry Junpei," she said, and she meant it.

"Don't be. I'm not anymore."

**

* * *

**

"I finally got to hug my dad again. I was like a dream." Takuya smiled happily.

"I just don't get it," Kouji murmured. "If everything's going on like the way it was supposed to if you were alive this whole time, how is he still alive?"

"Sometimes, we can find loopholes."

Both boys looked at the small Digimon perched in Keiko's lap. Lopmon kept his eyes on Keiko's foot, which he was fiddling absently with. "Salamon managed to find a way to bring Takuya's dad back and at the same time, make sure everybody thought he was here the entire time."

"Wow. That's crazy. Will we ever get the memories we had in the year-long time frame?" Keiko asked, blinking.

"Almost all of the events that happened while he was gone still happened," Patamon said. "The only difference is that there were a few more events, which were started because of Takuya, and some events that happened while Takuya was gone changed because of how he was involved."

"Eventually, you'll get them back," Salamon said, smiling. "It's just a matter of time."

**

* * *

**

Uh, abrupt ending? Yeah, well I'm so tired. But the next chapter's going to be super fun, I promise! And hopefully, you're all happy that Lord Takuya has returned.

Takuya: YEAH!

Yep. Read and review! :D


	19. If It Was Me

**Hehro gaiss! **I'm so sorry for the lateness, but I've been sick and I've been busy with school and tennis and my birthday and yadda yadda. So. Here's the next chapter to here's to the night!

**Reviews to chapter 18:**

Jennison Silverye: I KNOW! I'm so excited that he's back too! :D I know. We all know that Kouji's not THAT nice. xD They'll be able to have some recollection of the events as time goes on, but they might not remember some things, at least in the beginning. Miyu. Hmmm. We'll have to see about her, huh? I know, I'll show Tomoki's reaction in this chapter or the next. I really want to dedicate a huge chunk to it. Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Caliboy: **Calllaaaayyyyy boooooy! I was excited to see how you'd react. xD Thank ya. I try. :D Ooooh, isn't Tamotsu sexy though? I love him. So. Much. AHHH. Hehehe, you get a Tamotsu Token. :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Zoe1995: **Thanks! I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Immortal Fallen Radiance: **Oh… That sucks. ): Well, thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter.

**My-Little-Star: **ME NEITHER! YAYAYAYAYA! I meeseeed heeeem. :D Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Hmmm. Since you're so rude, you get a negative Tamotsu Token. Bitch. :D

**Celestial Writer: **Ooooh, somebody's in love. ;D Ohh, you'll find out this chapter. :D It's gonna be fantastic. Hmmm, I like your descriptions. :D One Tamotsu Token for you! :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **I know, I missed him too! It's gonna be trouble soon, I'm tellin ya! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**EclipseWiccan29: **I know! I missed him! *Dances too* Men are just… Men. xD Dun dun DUN! You'll find out soon enough! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**DephsXylex: **Aww, well I'm glad you're here now! :D HAHA! I loved your descriptions! They were completely out of the norm! A Tamotsu Token for you! (Tamotsu: I'm… SCARY?) Thanks so much for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

Oh, so the demon (Sydney) asked me to answer my own question. So. Here it is!

Tamotsu: I always picture him to be like, SUPA SEXIII. He's always smiling, with sandy blonde hair that's not LONG but not SHORT. He's pretty much the same height as all the other guys and he's got muscle, but it's lean. He's got dark green eyes that are brown around the rims and has an ass that'll never quit. He's. HOT.

Michiko: Actually, when I write, I usually picture Michiko to be really beautiful. She's about 5'3 and she's slender and adorable. She has auburn hair (kinda like Kairi from Kingdom Hearts if you want some clarity) and big, light brown eyes. She has long, dark eyelashes and pretty plump lips. I love herrr. :D

Okay, for my question this time… When you all read my story, how do you guys envision Keiko and Izumi looking?

HERE WE GO BITCHES!

**

* * *

**

"Keiko."

Said brunette cracked an eye open. "Yes, Michiko?"

The auburn haired teen smiled at her friend, looking slightly sheepish for waking her up so early. "I was gonna go for a run before we leave this morning. You want come with me? You don't have to if you really don't want to."

Keiko sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "No, I'll come. Let me just get dressed real quick."

"Should I ask Atsuko, Izumi or Miyu as well?"

Keiko yawned, pulling a pair of shorts, a sports bra and a t-shirt out of her suitcase. She smiled tiredly. "Izumi probably won't wake up. But you can ask her. And Atsuko and Miyu might want to come."

Michiko nodded and walked to the bed on the other side of the room. "Izumi?"

Keiko stared at herself in the mirror. They'd arrived to the hotel late last night, doing nothing but ordering room service and watching a movie before going to their respective rooms. This morning, they were all going to get breakfast together and head to the beach.

The brunette was slightly saddened when Tomoki declined her invitation. He told her to go ahead without him and have fun. He had better things to do. Keiko wanted to beg him, but she knew he would just hate her more if she did.

So they were all there, their big group of friends minus Tomoki. The girls were all sharing a suite as were the boys. Keiko and Izumi were sharing a room on the bottom floor of the master suite while Michiko and Atsuko shared one upstairs. Miyu claimed the master bedroom to herself, much to the girl's dismay. Izumi almost said something, but Michiko asked her not too. The auburn haired girl didn't want Takuya to get upset.

The boys were on the other side of the hall. Tamotsu told Keiko that he and Takuya were sharing a room, while the other three (Kouji, Kouichi and Junpei) were sharing as well. The blonde had kissed the brunette goodnight before heading to bed.

Absently, Keiko wondered if any of them were awake yet. Judging by the time on the alarm clock next to her, which read five in the morning, they were probably still sleeping.

Izumi stumbled across Keiko's field of vision to her suitcase. "Um, Izumi?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to come if you're tired."

The blonde blinked blearily. "I wanna."

"Err, okay…"

She smiled widely. "You're so precious."

Michiko skipped back into the room, wide awake and already perky. "Miyu said she's going to come. Atsuko passed though. She said she'd rather sleep in."

Izumi grumbled. "Great. The princess is coming."

Michiko frowned. "We need to make this work . I don't want Miyu to be here on this vacation or even with Takuya in general, but that's just the way it is. I want him to be with you, Izumi, as much as you hate me saying it. You're just so much better for him…"

The blonde looked surprised. "I…"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," the auburn haired girl murmured. "I guess I just think Takuya deserves so much better, and since Keiko's with Tamotsu and Atsuko's pretty much with Kouichi…" She laughed awkwardly. "Actually, I'll stop talking now!"

Izumi smiled. "I love you Michiko. You're just too cute."

"Isn't she?" Miyu walked in just then, wearing shorts and a sports bra… And that was it. "Are you all ready?"

"It's probably still cold out, Miyu," Keiko said. "Maybe you should throw on a shirt or something."

Miyu smiled. "I warm up really easily."

Izumi stood up, having gotten dressed during Michiko's rant. "Okay, you guys ready?"

**

* * *

**

The run was… well…

Miyu just kept going on about all the things going on in her life and on the track team and how there were going to be scouts at her next track meet and how they were going to be watching her. She also talked about how Takuya thought she had the nicest body ever.

_~She's not ugly or overweight or anything,~ _Izumi thought. _~But does she really need to go on like this? It makes me want to punch myself in the face.~_

After five more minutes of the girl's squawking, Izumi interrupted her and asked what the agenda was for the day. Miyu looked pissed.

Breakfast was even more awkward. They rounded up the rest, showered and dressed and they all went to a restaurant across the street.

Since there were so many of them, they got a large booth in the corner of the room that wrapped around the wall. Izumi was rather annoyed that she was stuck sitting next to Takuya, who was next to Miyu. Tamotsu was on her other side with Keiko next to him, and he didn't look very pleased to be in the same vicinity either.

Miyu talked the entire time, talking about track AGAIN, her siblings, how she hated her parents, the sluts and whores in the school who were trying to get with her man (Tamotsu almost flipped the shit when Miyu glanced and Izumi every time she said slut), and how she pretty much had to ward the guys off with a cane.

Finally it was over, and it was time to go to the beach.

**

* * *

**

"Takuya, you want some sunscreen?" Izumi asked the brunette.

"Hell no! Kanbaras don't burn!" And with that, he sped off towards the beach.

The blonde looked at the rest, who were all laughing. "Looks like I'll have to ask him if he wants some cold cream later." More laughter.

Miyu laughed loudly. "I'll be sure to let you know if I need help!"

Silence.

Tamotsu cleared his throat. "You all want to start up some beach volleyball?"

Murmurs of agreement.

"Michiko, could you put some sunscreen on my back?" Junpei asked his girlfriend, who nodded.

"Sure!"

The others were all gone as Michiko slathered the sunscreen onto her hands and began rubbing it into Junpei's back. "It's really a beautiful day, huh?"

"Izumi told me you were crying the other night."

Her hands stumbled for a split second. "It was nothing, really! Just me being a drama queen." She giggled, finishing her task. "I'm fine now. And so are you! You can go into the sun and not have to worry about burning to death!"

"It was over me. And my ex-girlfriend. Wasn't it?"

"I-It's not a big deal. Honest."

He turned, putting his hands on top of hers, which were folded in her lap. "Michiko. Please. Just tell me what happened."

She lowered her eyes. "I just… wonder sometimes why you're still with me when you can have all those other beautiful girls." She played with the beach towel they were seated on. "You could have someone experienced, your age, pretty-"

"I don't care if you're the least experienced girl on the planet. I don't give a shit about that. I don't care if you're a year younger. And I don't know what you see when you look in the mirror, but you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met. You just need to believe in yourself."

She sniffled, her eyes tearing up. "I-I don't know what to say."

He smiled lightly, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I didn't expect you to." He leaned in and kissed her lightly. "I love you."

"You too."

"Hey, get a room! It's beach time!" Tamotsu exclaimed, grinning at them. "Michiko, you're on the girls' team."

The auburn haired girl smiled and ran to the volleyball net.

"And you're with us, Junpei." Tamotsu's expression changed and as the two walked to their side he quietly said, "If you ever make Michiko cry again, I'll shove my foot so far up my ass you'll be able to taste my shoelaces, you got it?"

Junpei couldn't help but smirk, despite the dread in his stomach. "Got it."

**

* * *

**

"Takuya, that was completely uncalled for." Kouji glared as he helped Izumi to her feet. The blonde was holding her nose. "I thought we agreed we weren't going to spike the ball at anybody."

"Sorry." Takuya scratched the back of his head. "I just got excited. Are you okay, Izumi?"

The blonde smiled lightly. "I'm fine. Nice shot."

"That was a pretty good shot, babe!" Miyu agreed.

Kouji rolled his eyes. "Yes, we've already established that."

Takuya blinked. "Don't be rude, man."

"Hn." Kouji turned his attention back to the blonde. "You alright to play?"

Izumi smiled and nodded. "I'm fine. Just a nose injury." She giggled. "You guys are acting like I broke my leg or something."

"We just worry," Kouji muttered, his cheeks flushing.

Izumi smiled up at him. "Thank you."

"Come on guys! Let's keep playing!" Tamotsu exclaimed excitedly, grinning. "We need to finish kicking the girls' asses!"

**

* * *

**

By four o'clock it began raining. Everybody packed up and went into the girls' suite. Tamotsu and Keiko ran to the grocery store down the street and bought snacks and games for them to play until the storm cleared.

It was nearly five by the time the couple came back.

"What do you guys want to do first?" Keiko asked, smiling at her friends.

"What games did you guys grab?" Izumi asked.

"We got Life, Monopoly, Twister, Clue, Trouble, Uno…" Tamotsu opened up another bag. "And we got the supplies to play King of the Castle."

"Let's play Twister first!" Takuya exclaimed. "I'm so good at it!"

Everybody agreed.

They decided unanimously that only five people should play at a time, so they broke off into teams of two. Takuya and Michiko, Keiko and Atsuko, Tamotsu and Kouji (strangely enough), Kouichi and Junpei and unfortunately for Izumi, she had to be paired with Miyu.

It was a disaster. Miyu was grumpy at Izumi the entire time because the blonde was the second one out in her group. Tamotsu ended up winning, which, to Izumi, was kind of shocking in a way, but then again, he had sexy, strong arms. So…

The next round, Miyu won and then the blonde and the brunette had to go against each other for the championship.

Much to everybody's dismay (besides Takuya of course), Tamotsu lost to the girl.

She was smug the entire night.

Next, they played Clue. Takuya got way too into it, screaming out his accusations for the three rounds he played, yet getting every single one of them wrong. Kouji won the three rounds every time, and Keiko commented on his large, loner, badass brain and the raven smirked.

After Clue, which left everybody's ears wringing, they played Life. It was fun, seeing which jobs they ended up having, and they all got a laugh when Takuya ended up with three cars filled with children because of all of the spaces he ended up landing on.

Again, Kouji won. He seemed to dominate at board games.

They played Uno afterwards and Kouji won within seven times going around the table. Tamotsu looked pissed off, muttering under his breath that the raven was lucky that it wasn't Tamotsu vs. Kouji week.

They played Monopoly and Trouble, Kouji pulling out the win both times, and finally they got to King of the Castle. After Keiko scribbled the numbers down on each of the sticks and put a crown on one of them the game begin.

The first one to get the king stick was Izumi, who looked around the room, smiling evilly. "Number 3… Show us your butt."

There was dead silence. They were all surprised that Izumi started the game with such a bold one. Slowly, Tamotsu stood up, muttering under his breath as he pulled at the drawstring of his sweatpants and turned around, pulling them and his boxers down and showing everybody around the room his butt.

The girls (and Takuya) all squealed and the blonde huffed and pulled them back up, taking a seat on the ground. "Bitch."

"You know."

The all threw the sticks into the cup and shook it up. The next king was Kouichi. "Um…" He looked around. "Number 7 has to tell us their most embarrassing moment."

Kouji cleared his throat. "When I found out about how everybody in the school knew about Natsumi and how I lost my virginity to her."

Miyu burst out laughing.

Kouji growled. "It wasn't fucking funny at all. It sucked. Everybody made fun of me and people still do to this day. I wish I'd never done it."

"Wow. That was deep," Takuya said quietly. "I forgot about that."

"I didn't."

Michiko was the next person with the crown. "5 has to say "in bed" after every sentence until they get picked as the king."

Junpei grumbled. "Fine. In bed."

The next king was Takuya. "Okay! 9 and 2 have to _make out_ for two minutes! Tongue and all!" Somewhere in his mind, he was hoping it would be Izumi and Miyu.

It wasn't what he'd been hoping for though. In fact, they were both guys. Tamotsu and Kouji.

"I'm not doing it," the blonde said, shaking his head. "No. Way."

"What's wrong?" Kouji smirked. "You afraid I'll dominate you?"

Tamotsu's eyes narrowed at the challenge. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm sure everybody in the room would agree that I'm the seme between the two of us."

"No way! I totally am!"

"Actually, I agree with Kouji," Izumi said, smiling. "Sorry."

"What? You're out of your mind!"

"I agree with Kouji, too."

"Yeah, so do I."

"You might as well stamp uke on Tamotsu's forehead."

"That was uncalled for, Keiko," the blonde huffed. "And there's no way you would dominate me, Kouji. You wish you could in your dreams though."

"Prove it, then."

"Huh?"

"Prove. It."

Tamotsu growled and moved forward, trying to hide his nervousness. Kouji just had a smug smile on his face.

Until his lips touched the blonde's.

Kouji pushed forward, pushing Tamotsu to lie on the ground beneath him. The blonde squirmed, obviously uncomfortable with what was happening, but he didn't back down. He closed his eyes and allowed Kouji to deepen the kiss.

The raven's hands snaked down and he grabbed two handfuls of ass, causing Tamotsu to give a very un-manly squeak. "Hey, that was so unnecessary, man!" he cried, breaking the kiss.

"Shut up."

"Fuck-"

Kouji used the opening to shove his tongue into the blonde's mouth, his moving up to cup the cheeks on his _face_ this time. Tamotsu was murmuring nonsensically as Kouji completely and utterly dominated the hell out of him.

"Time's up," Junpei muttered, looking slightly disturbed. "In bed."

Kouji pulled off of Tamotsu and smirked as he sat back down in his spot, looking completely unruffled.

Tamotsu on the other hand has swollen lips, flushed cheeks and his sweats were barely covering his ass. "Dude, what the hell?"

"Hmm?" Kouji raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Y-You-!"

Izumi was wiping the blood off her face, grinning. "That was the best two minutes of my life."

Next up was Keiko. "Okay… Um… 8 has to kiss 1."

Takuya looked up. "I'm 1! Who's lucky enough to kiss me?"

Izumi felt her heart stop in her chest. "Me. I'm 8."

Miyu let out a high pitched laugh. "Okay, I think me and Izumi should switch sticks!"

"I'm pretty sure the game doesn't work like that. In bed," Junpei said. "You're not allowed to switch in bed."

"You heard the man…" Takuya smiled awkwardly. "C'mon over, Izumi. I don't bite."

Izumi crawled across the floor and the group watched tensely as the two pressed their lips to each other's. Izumi felt her whole body tingle. His scent, his lips, the way his hand had a firm, yet gentle hold on the back of her neck, the warmth her hands received from simply resting on his bare shoulders. She was in heaven.

Never, would she have imagined that she would ever get the chance to kiss Takuya.

Never.

She felt like she couldn't get enough. She wished that he had his arms around her, she wished they were kissing somewhere romantic, like on the beach or under the fireworks or something along those lines. She at least wished they weren't kissing in front of everybody the way they were.

She'd always imagined her first kiss with Takuya to be somewhere private, his hard body pressed against hers, his hands running up the curve of her hip, her hands buried in that soft chocolate hair.

And maybe when he pulled away, he'd smile at her and say-

"Okay, you've kissed long enough!"

Izumi pulled away abruptly, her face red. Miyu looked angry. Her gray eyes were wide and if they could change any color, it would definitely have been red or green.

"Miyu, they seriously kissed for five seconds," Junpei said. "I counted."

"Well it was five seconds too many!" she yelled, looking ready to rip Izumi's head off.

"Okay." Tamotsu tossed his stick on the ground. "Seriously, you're making this the worst vacation I've ever been on you bitchy fucking spastic bimbo."

There was a stunned silence. Takuya turned to Tamotsu. "Hey! You didn't need to talk to her like that! What the hell's wrong with you?"

Tamotsu took a deep breath. "Sorry."

Miyu stormed out of the room, going upstairs and into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Takuya sighed softly and followed the girl, finding her laying on her bed, sobbing into her pillow. "Babe-"

"Shut up!" she cried. "I didn't even want to come on this stupid vacation in the first place! I hate Izumi! She always has to come between us!"

"What're you talking about?"

"I know she's in love with you. I just see it in her eyes. And I know you loved her at one point too! She's such a slut! Why does she always have to ruin everything?"

"Izumi's a good person," Takuya said softly. "And that kiss meant nothing. It was a dare. If you were dared to kiss Kouji, would you?"

"That's different! There's not a chance you'd lose me to Kouji! But I could lose you any day to Izumi and you know it!" She hiccupped and looked back at him. "And you know I asked you to make that decision, and you still haven't! I'm giving you until the end of the month!"

"What's the decision?"

"The decision is whether you're going to pick me or her! You can't have us both. If Izumi's in your life, I'm not going to be anymore."

"Miyu, you're going too far. I've been friends with Izumi since we were 11. I don't want to have to pick. Why don't you guys try to talk it out?"

"I don't want to talk to her!" she screamed, throwing a full-blown tantrum. "I can't stand her! I want her dead! I hate her, I hate her, I hate her!"

Downstairs, everybody could hear Miyu lose her temper. Keiko was actually scared, thinking the girl was going to do something to her blonde friend. She seated herself on Tamotsu's lap, trying to find some sort of comfort. "I've never seen anybody so mad in my life."

"Me neither. I've seen her throw a small tantrum, but this one is huge. I wish I had a camera."

"Why would you want a camera?" Keiko asked, nervously. "I'm actually sort of scared…"

"Aww, baby." He smiled and pressed a kiss to her nose. "She won't do anything. I won't let the big bad Miyu hurt you or anybody else."

"Would she?" Keiko asked. She didn't know what this girl was capable of.

"Nah. She's a little bitch. She thinks she's a little princess and a tough girl, but I promise you she's all talk. Like Hotaka. Wouldn't they make a good couple?"

Atsuko sighed. "I just think Takuya deserves better. It's obvious that she's not a good person to him, and I actually feel bad for him."

"You really shouldn't. It's not your fault he picked a bad person to be with," Kouichi said.

"I know, but I feel like I should say something. Maybe help him get away from her."

"We've already tried to have an intervention," Tamotsu said, flopping backwards onto the ground, bringing Keiko with him. "I don't think he's going to listen to us. He really thinks Miyu is everything."

Kouji vaguely had a memory of talking to Takuya about it.

"_Takuya, why can't you see that she's just… rotten? I want you to be happy, but can't you find a way to be happy with somebody else?"_

"_Why can't you guys see what I see in her? I really love her. She might act like a brat in front of you all, or she may try to show off and everything, but when it's just the two of us, she's a completely different person."_

"Bullshit."

Michiko tilted her head to the side at the raven. "Hmm?"

"Erm, just remembering something he said during that little intervention or whatever…"

"I can't wait to go home," Izumi said softly. "I usually love going places with you all, but she's honestly ruining it for me. She's really ruined a lot."

"There's other fish in the sea," Kouji muttered.

Izumi nodded. "I just feel like we should at least try. I want to so badly. I really… really love him."

Kouji sighed. _~And I love you.~_

**

* * *

**

After about an hour, Miyu and Takuya came down. He ended up telling the group that Miyu was going to stay in his room for the night with him. The leggy brunette said nothing to anybody, not apologizing for what she did.

"I don't want to sleep in a room with her," Tamotsu admonished when Takuya left. "Seriously. I don't want fleas."

"You could sleep up in her room," Michiko said.

Tamotsu grinned. "Like I said, I don't want fleas, doll."

**

* * *

**

Keiko was woken up early in the morning again by a loud clap of thunder. She yelped and fell out of her bed, groaning and rubbing her butt. "Shit."

She heard a soft sniffling and looked over at Izumi's bed, tilting her head to the side. "Izumi?"

No answer.

"Izumi? Are you okay?"

A muffled sob.

Keiko slowly made her way to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it and resting a hand on Izumi's shoulder. "Izu?"

"I hate this place," the blonde sobbed.

"We can leave," Keiko said. "I'll say we need to cut the vacation short and-"

"No, not _here. _I hate this position I'm in. Before he left, Takuya said he loved me. It's like those feelings disappeared or never even existed." She sobbed, sitting up and wiping at her eyes. "I just wish things were back to the way they were before Miyu barged in. I want my old life back. I hate feeling like this."

Keiko wrapped her arms around the blonde, allowing the teen to cry into her shoulder for what had to be a half hour.

Keiko called the pilot once Izumi cried herself to sleep and told him to come get them. She to the others' rooms and told them all that she was going home with Izumi and that she would have the jet pick them up in two days, once the vacation was supposed to be over.

None of them had wanted to stay for two more days.

So they packed their things and by noon, they were back on the jet, on their way home to Shibuya.

**

* * *

**

What a wonderful addition we have in this story! Don't forget to answer the question, y'all! Thanks for reading and please review! :D


	20. It's Alright

Hey guys! I'm not gonna reply to reviews right now, but I'll PM my replies to you. I'm in a hurry, kinda. Thank you all for reading and liking the last chapter, and here's the next one!

Okay, descriptions:

Keiko- Long, choppy brown hair with front bangs and blue-green eyes. She's a little shorter than Izumi but a little taller than Michiko. She's quite pretty and has a pretty nice bod, even though her boobs are on the smaller side. xD

Izumi- Long blonde hair to the middle of her back. She's got big boobies (obvi.) and has sideswept bangs. She's got long legs and green eyes with a nice smile. She has a really nice body and nice hips. :P

**

* * *

**Another nameless face.

"Oh, Kouji."

The raven imagined it was Izumi beneath him, writhing as he pushed his fingers in and out of her dripping sex.

"T-There!" she cried, arching up into him, grabbing at his arms. "Kouji!"

He silenced her by pushing his lips into hers. It was easier to imagine it was Izumi when she was quiet. The girl squirmed, pushing herself into her fingers, gasping against his lips.

_~Come for me, Izumi.~_

The girl shrieked, her walls contracting around his fingers as she hit her climax. He pulled them out, unzipping his pants and pulling his length out.

He wanted to stop putting the condom on, he wanted to stop lining himself up with her entrance, he wanted to stop it all and go home and talk to Kouichi, or ask Keiko for advice, or even pour his heart out to Izumi. But he couldn't.

It was all a blur after that.

**

* * *

**Kouji woke up in the morning alone in his bed. He hoped he would. It was Friday, and he's taken that girl home with him right after school, hoping to have sex with her and numb the pain of everything else that was going on.

It didn't really make him feel better, but he could suppose he was less aware.

He got up, sighing as he realized he had to go to school.

**

* * *

**"How do you feel, Izumi?" Keiko asked softly, smiling at her friend.

The blonde sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'm finally coming to terms with it, now. I really _don't _have a chance with Takuya, do I?"

"Don't talk like that," Tamotsu said, pursing his lips. "He and Miyu aren't gonna get married, you know."

Izumi sighed again, folding her arms over her desk and resting her chin against them. "It's easy for you two to say. You've been together forever, now. You don't have any problems in love."

Keiko fidgeted, prepared to say something but the bell rang. "I'd better get to my own homeroom." She patted the girl's head. "Don't give up, okay? Love you."

When Keiko walked out the door, Tamotsu draped himself over his blonde friend, whispering so only she could hear. "And from what Takuya's told me in the past, he and Miyu fight. A _lot. _It won't be long now, okay?"

Izumi smiled up at the teen. He always knew just what to say.

**

* * *

**"Kouji?" Michiko said softly, tilting her head at the raven.

"Hn." He looked at the auburn haired girl, taking in the concerned look on her face. "What're you staring at?"

She cleared her throat. "You look really tired."

"Do I…?" he muttered, blinking slowly. He already knew that. He was fucking exhausted.

"Y-Yeah." She sighed softly. "Is everything okay? I know we're not really good friends, but you're really close with Izumi and Keiko and Junpei, and I'm close to them and we kinda hang out in the same group…"

"I'm fine," he said quietly. "Thanks."

"But you're really not," she said, looking sympathetic.

"I don't want your pity," he snapped.

"I'm not giving it to you, but I want you to be okay," she said, not phased at all by Kouji's mini-tantrum.

He sighed, cooling off. "You promise not to tell anybody?"

She nodded. "Promise."

"Well, last weekend, when we went on that trip and Izumi and Takuya kissed…" He cleared his throat. "I love Izumi. And I know that Izumi loves Takuya. It's hard to have competition like that. Because Takuya used to love Izumi too."

Michiko smiled lightly and put a hand on his forearm. "Hey, it'll be okay. I'm sure Izumi'll come around. You're the one who's been here the most for her, right? She's getting her heart broken, and if you prove to her that you're there, she'll probably realize you're better for her."

He blinked. "You think so?"

She nodded. "I know so. I think you and Izumi would be great for each other."

He smiled at the teen. "Thank you, Michiko. It means a lot."

She beamed at him and hugged him, ignoring the way his body stiffened against her. "You're welcome! If you ever need to talk, just let me know. I'm here for you."

Junpei walked into the room just then. "Anything I should know about?" He raised an eyebrow.

Michiko giggled and pulled away, walking over to her boyfriend and wrapping her arms around him. "Nope! Just talking with Kouji about something!"

He smiled at her, leaning down and kissing her cheek. "Always so helpful."

She giggled again, pushing her face into his chest. "I try!"

Kouji sighed. God, how much he wished that were him and Izumi.

* * *

"Izumi!"

The blonde blinked and turned around, her heart skipping a beat when the person who called her name came into her sights. "Takuya…"

He caught up to her, putting his hands on his knees and catching his breath. "I was calling your name, but you didn't hear me! You headed home?"

"Um, yes."

"Lemme walk you there, then."

"Ah, you really don't have to!" She waved her arms awkwardly. "I mean, I'm sure Miyu-"

"_Miyu's _got softball practice." He looked at her intently. "I want to walk home with _you._"

She couldn't help the way her heart skipped a beat. "I…"

"Well, let's go," he said, smiling at the blonde. "It's supposed to rain."

**

* * *

**

"I'm so sick of sophomore year," Tamotsu groaned, flopping down on Keiko's bed. "God…"

"Aw, come on. We've only got four more weeks of classes. Aren't you gonna miss lacrosse, mister varsity?" Keiko asked, smiling teasingly.

He smirked at her and grabbed her waist, rolling around with her for a second before he pulled her on top of him. "Yeah, I'm gonna miss lacrosse a lot. But I won't miss the schoolwork and the teachers and Miyu even more."

She tilted her head to the side. "Tamotsu… Why does Miyu act the way she does?"

He shrugged. "Beats me. Prolly an attention thing. She constantly needs to be at the center of attention. Annoying, right?"

Keiko nodded. "I just don't get her. She's so… fake. I don't know what Takuya sees in her."

"Me neither, babe." He sat up, scooting back and sitting against the headboard. He rubbed her thighs absently, looking off into space.

"What're you thinking about?" Keiko asked after a few minutes of looking at his face. She still couldn't get over how good looking he was.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm thinking about how to get rid of Miyu…"

Keiko blinked. "What?"

"See, there's some rat poison in the basement of my house-"

Keiko bonked him on top of the head with one of her pillows. "Really! What're you thinking about?" she cried, laughing.

He pushed the pillow off his head, looking directly up at his girlfriend. "I'm thinking about you."

She was struck silent. He was thinking that hard… about her…?

Then again, she didn't have to say anything, because Tamotsu had covered her lips with his.

**

* * *

**"You've been acting strange ever since you came back from the vacation last wekend," Takuya said bluntly.

"Have I?" she asked innocently.

Takuya frowned. "I'm being serious here, Izumi. I'm really worried."

"Don't be. It's nothing."

"But it is!" He moved in front of her.

Izumi tried not to shiver. He was everything she'd imagined him to be when she dreamt of him. That messy chestnut hair, those dark brown eyes that seemed to bore through her soul. His hard tan body covered up by that school uniform, hugging it in all the right places. God, she'd never been around somebody that just made her feel so ugly.

She couldn't really say whether or not that was contributed to Miyu or not, but she knew for a fact that she just wanted to cover her face up and run away.

"Izumi!"

She jumped, staring at him with wide green eyes. "What?"

"Did you hear a word I just said?"

She decided to play her game. "Hmph!" She crossed her arms over her chest, being careful to keep them in the perfect position across her breasts. "No, I didn't. And I don't want to. I'm leaving." She stomped away.

Takuya grabbed her shoulder, turning her around to face him. "Izumi, please just talk to me! Why're you acting so weird? Why're you so mad? Did I do something?"

She almost felt bad. "Yes, you did actually! You just came back from the dead, and you didn't even make an attempt to hang out with any of us besides that disaster of a vacation last weekend! We all missed you more than anything, and maybe you don't recall being gone for a year, but we do! Sorry that Miyu's taking so much of your time or whatever, but we're your friends too, and we've known you for way longer!"

She spun around and walked away.

Yep. That felt amazing.

**

* * *

**

"Tomoki, is something bothering you?"

"No," he said, smiling at his girlfriend. "Why, does it seem like it?"

She shifted slightly. "Kinda. I just want everything to be okay. Does it have to do with Takuya coming back?"

He pursed his lips. "Are you a mind reader?"

She smiled brightly. "I've just known you for a while, I guess!"

He nodded. "Yeah. I am thinking about Takuya."

"Have you talked to him?"

"Not really. He hasn't talked to me since he's come back. He probably doesn't know half the stuff that's even going on right now."

"Hmm, do you think he's maybe intimidated by you?"

"Takuya?" He laughed. "Hah! He's not afraid of anyone or anything! He always charges ahead, braver than-" He paused, completely silent for several seconds. When was the last time he talked like that…?

"You're still a kid Tomoki," Chiaki said softly. "In your heart, you weren't prepared to be abandoned, so you put up your strong front and acted tough. I know who you really are, and I know you probably want to see Takuya more than anything. You still idolize him, after all."

"Chiaki…" He stared at her. "I…" He stared at the ground. "When he disappeared and… and nobody talked to me about it… nobody was there for me… all I wanted to _do _was cry."

Chiaki smiled gently at him. "Then cry."

And he did.

**

* * *

**Kouichi didn't know what to call them.

Atsuko was always over his house, or they were always together, when she wasn't working, of course. When she did have to work, he would usually visit her at the café, stopping by for a coffee. Sometimes he'd see Keiko there too, and she grin and wink at him.

They always held hands, hugged, and once in a while, they'd kiss.

He wasn't sure what type of girl she was, because he'd heard about her, but he'd never heard bad things. What if he wasn't the only guy she was hanging out with? What if she was doing this to make her boyfriend jealous?

He'd used his secret weapon to figure things out, too. His gossip bloodhound, Izumi, had come up dry though. She said Atsuko was an extremely mysterious girl, and that she'd been unable to figure much out about her.

He'd sighed at the blonde, tossed her a treat, and sent her away.

It was hard to decide what they were. Were they dating? Were they just friends who occasionally made out? Were they just taking it slow and testing the waters first?

Maybe she'd had a bad boyfriend in the past and she wanted to be cautious…

Or maybe she was just leading him on, trying to see how long it took until he caught on…

Or maybe he was just delusional and there was never anybody named Atsuko in his life. Maybe he was actually in a mental institution and he was schizophrenic and maybe there was never a Digital World or a twin brother…

Or maybe his entire life's been a dream and everything that happened since he fell down the stairs wasn't real. Maybe he was still in a coma in the hospital and his mind was just creating a life for him to live…

Or maybe-

"Hey, Kouichi," Atsuko said, smiling at the raven as she took a seat next to him. "What's up? You looked like you were kinda dazed there."

He hummed. "Nothing. Just thinking."

**

* * *

**"Hey, you know those aphrodisiacs you put in Akira's food on April Fool's day?" Saburo asked Keiji, staring hard at the screen as he threw a grenade at a group of soldiers.

"Yeah, what about 'em?" Keiji replied, shooting at another group.

"Well, you know Akira's had the flu for the last week, right?"

"Yeah."

"And I'm sure you can imagine I'm not getting much action out of it, correct?"

"…Yeah."

"Well, what if I put some aphrodisiac in his soup and give him a little blowjob or something? I mean, I'm starting to get desperate here. I wouldn't mind blowing him while I just jerk off or something."

Keiji paused the game, staring at his brother for several long seconds. "Let me get this straight. You honestly want to drug him so you can mack on a sick person?"

Saburo sighed. "Yeah, that sounds kinda bad, huh?"

"No. That's devotion right there." Keiji stood up. "Lemme grab those for you."

"You're the best Keiji!"

"I know."

**

* * *

**

"I really don't know what to do at this point," Takuya sighed. "I don't want to lose Izumi's friendship, but I really do find myself falling in love with Miyu."

Kouji wanted to tell Takuya to never talk to Izumi again, or to tell him to pick Miyu instead, so he could have Izumi all to himself. But he couldn't. As much of an asshole he was, he was more devoted than anything to his friends. That would never change, no matter who he dated, fell in love with or married.

"Look, I know I shouldn't talk to you about this, because I know you like Izumi…"

Kouji ticked his eyebrow. _~Love.~_

"But I don't know who else to go to. I mean, there's always Tamotsu or Junpei, but… well, you're my best friend. Shouldn't I go to you first?"

"Well, can you imagine living without Izumi?" Kouji asked.

Takuya shook his head immediately. "No."

"And Miyu?"

"No."

Kouji wanted to punch Takuya in the face. Of course he could fucking live without that bitch. It's only high school, and she's not his wife or anything! He'd be fine without her.

"Well, who would you rather have move away and never see again?" Kouji asked.

Takuya stared. "I… I'd rather have Miyu move away… No… Izumi… No! Miyu! Err, I don't know, Kouji."

"You're telling me you honestly can't pick between one of your best friends and your girlfriend who you've known for two weeks?" Kouji wanted to strangle the brunette. "What the fuck's wrong with you?"

"It's like I've known her for longer than that! I can't explain it!"

"You're supposed to be the glue here! How could you even say that?"

Takuya looked pissed. "You wouldn't understand what it's like to have somebody actually love you back, would you? Maybe if you didn't push Keiko away a couple years ago you'd understand! Maybe if you didn't push _everybody _away you'd actually know how I'm feeling!"

Kouji said nothing. He just stared at Takuya. How could he bring that up? The whole Keiko thing was a low blow, and Takuya knew that Kouji had trust issues with people… So how could he…?

"Oh God… I'm sorry, Kouji," Takuya said, his hand over his mouth.

"I'm going home." Kouji stood up, pushing his hands into his pockets.

"Kouji, wait-"

Kouji stopped in the doorway, not turning around. "Look, I really missed you while you were gone, okay? I really wanted you to come back home. I wanted it more than anyone." He turned his head slightly. "But I wanted _Takuya _to come home. I wanted my best friend to come back." He opened the door. "Not _you_."

Takuya stared at the closed door.

He didn't know what to do. Who could he talk to now? Tamotsu? Junpei? Keiko?

He definitely couldn't talk to Izumi, Kouji or Tomoki…

So he called Miyu.

**

* * *

**"I don't know." He pushed Keiko when the brunette swung back down. "I haven't talked to Takuya since it happened. Normally after we fight, he texts me, but now…" He stared at the necklace in his hand, using one hand to push the girl.

"Maybe you should text him first."

"I don't owe him anything," he muttered, pulling out his phone and checking to see if he had a text, which he didn't. "I'm not the one who brought things up from the past."

"What'd he say about the past?" she asked, blinking.

He paused. "He… Well, he just said I push people away." He didn't want to bring up what happened between the two of them, especially when they've been getting along so well.

"That's not okay," Keiko said softly, the wind blowing through her hair. "That doesn't sound like something Takuya would say."

"I know, I was thinking the same thing." He stopped pushing her, deciding to sit on the swing next to her. "I wish he'd never met Miyu."

"Same here." Keiko stopped her swing, sighing softly. She looked up to the moon and stars. "I really missed him, you know? It's not the same though."

"I know…" Kouji looked at the brunette.

"The only good thing that came out of it is that we got closer, though, right?"

Kouji nodded. "Yeah, I guess we did." He hated it when she got all mushy.

Keiko giggled. "Takuya's gonna come to his senses. It's just a matter of time."

**

* * *

**

My question…

What're your three favorite couples and why?


	21. You're All I Want

So I've been thinking of some songs for the story again. Hehe!:

Kouji/Keiko: Hana Kagari by Yumi Shuzukusa (as suggested by Sydney) and Dirty Laundry by Bitter Sweet

Takuya/Izumi: Where We Belong by Thriving Ivory

Kouji/Izumi: Deep Down by Saosin

Tamotsu: My Shiny Teeth And Me by Chip Skylark (don't even ask, he's just so sexy and I bet he has beautiful teeth ;))

Any couples, existing or non-existing (whichever you like!): Sexify My Love by New Kids on the Block, Drift Away by Uncle Kraker (I don't really know why. xD) and Intuition by Jewel

If you all have any, let me know!

**Review replies for chapter 20:**

**Celestial Writer: **I know! Something's a little off about him, huh? I missed Tomoki too! He's such a doll. :D I know! Michiko's so sweet! One Tamotsu Token for you! :D Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter. :D

**Caliboy: **I know, I just wanted to see if anything changed. You got a Tamotsu Token though. Hehe, Miyu really does need ta die. Yeah, I was totally rushing when I was writing it. xD Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **It was, wasn't it? Michiko's such a doll/middleman. It's cute. Takuya's being an ass, huh? I almost want to beat him up myself. xD Keiko knows at this point, though she's not sure at what degree he likes (Kouji: LOVES) her. Tomoki's so cute. Here's to hoping he and Takuya get to talk! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**DephsXylex: **Oh, I saw that commercial! It looks pretty sick! xD Oh, non-couples count too! I don't think the other reviewers knew that. xD Here's a Tamotsu Token! YES, Miyu IS a dumb bitch! :D Takuya is a little bit dim, isn't he? Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **I know. I really loved writing that bit about them and their depraved perversion. It's a bit more than girls they're fighting about. Kouji just doesn't think that it's right that Miyu gets to treat Takuya like crap as a best friend. And I know. Keiko's a good girl on occasion. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**

* * *

**

**Warnings: Miyu, a non-betaed chapter and a lack of Tomoki**

**

* * *

**"Izumi, we need to talk."

Never, in a million years, would the blonde have imagined Miyu standing up in the middle of lunch, telling Izumi that they had something to talk about.

She'd really done enough to ruin them. Kouji and Takuya hadn't spoken to each other for almost a week now, Izumi herself hadn't talked to Takuya either, and Miyu's presence seemed to be taking a toll on everybody, besides Tamotsu, Michiko and Atsuko of course. They were used to her.

Izumi narrowed her eyes. "About…?"

"Let's go out in the hall."

"Anything you can say to Izumi you can say to us, too," Tamotsu grumbled, stabbing a piece of chicken with his chopsticks.

Miyu glared at Tamotsu, then her boyfriend, expecting him to defend her, but he didn't say anything. He was staring at his bento box, his face unreadable.

"I'd rather speak to her in private about this. I don't want her to be embarrassed."

Izumi slammed her chopsticks down on the table. "_Look, _you've got a lot of nerve, coming in here and demanding-"

"Let's go." Miyu turned and began walking to the doors.

"I'm gonna bounce that bitch's head off the wall," Izumi muttered so only Michiko and Kouji could hear.

"Please do," Kouji said with a snort.

"Don't do anything you'll regret later," Michiko said softly.

Izumi stormed out, following Miyu and growling when the girl didn't bother holding the door open for her.

"What the hell do you want, Miyu?"

"I _want_ you to stay the hell away from my boyfriend," the girl said, smiling brightly. "It's been even worse these past few days. Guess you must be jealous because you're not his first, but-"

"Wait, _what?_"

Miyu looked triumphant. "You honestly thought you were gonna get his virginity first? You poor thing. Then again, you lost it to, uh… what's his name again?"

"His _name_ is Asashi," Izumi snapped, losing her cool. "And you seriously have issues." Izumi knew how to make Miyu pissed. This certainly wasn't the first time she'd gotten into an argument with a girl in school. "You're so threatened by me. I mean, obviously you have this guy eating out of the palm of your hand. What're you so afraid of?"

Miyu wasn't phased. "I'm not afraid of you, honey. I just don't want my Takuya to get STD's from a dirty slampig like you."

"Ooh, now you're using insults to cover your lack of comebacks. I've played this game before, and I know you're just afraid that I'm in his life."

"Just go back to Italy and eat your pasta." Miyu waved her hand dismissively. "I just don't want to ruin you in public. People don't want to see that cheap mascara running down your face."

"Ooh, insulting my mascara now? You're really showing me whose boss." Izumi walked back into the lunchroom, her head held up high.

She didn't take _that_ shit.

**

* * *

**

Keiko stared as Izumi and Miyu left the lunchroom. "What do you think they're gonna talk about?"

"I think that's pretty obvious," Kouji said glibly. He looked over at Takuya, who hadn't stopped staring at his bento box. "Don't you care at all, Takuya?"

Keiko frowned. "Kouji-"

"Of course I care," Takuya said quietly. "You just don't understand how I feel."

"I'm pretty sure if I was in your position, I wouldn't pick Miyu over the person who was there for me way longer."

"Kouji, just leave 'im alone," Keiko said.

"You just don't get it!" Takuya shouted, finally angry. "I love Miyu!"

"Fuck Miyu!" Kouji snapped. "You finally came back and now you won't even give anybody the time of day! Do you have _any_ idea what that felt like?"

Everybody was silent. Kouji rarely displayed his emotions and this… was scary.

Michiko looked at Junpei. "Where'd he come back from?" she whispered.

"God, I fucking can't stand being around you anymore," Kouji said, clenching his fists.

"Then don't," Takuya muttered half-heartedly. "None of you even like me anymore. I don't get why you still stick around."

"Because we love you, that's why," Keiko said softly. "We just don't love your choices."

There was a tense silence until Izumi came back to the table, sitting down in her spot. Everybody was staring at her. She blinked. "What?"

Miyu came back to the table at that moment as well, making it a point to kiss Takuya before she took her seat. "So what'd you guys talk about while we were gone?"

"Nothing special," Michiko said, smiling.

Kouji smirked, knowing that Michiko was referring to Miyu as nothing special.

**

* * *

**They were sitting on the balcony, Junpei and Michiko, watching the rain fall and the thunder crash. Michiko was seated between her boyfriend's legs, a blanket draped over her body as the two sat in silence.

Junpei's mouth and nose was buried in the teen's soft hair, his eyes shut as he lightly dozed. He wasn't sure why Michiko had wanted to sit outside, but he had complied to her wishes, cuddling with her in the chilly air.

"I'm afraid of thunderstorms," Michiko admitted softly.

"Hm?" he cracked an eye open. "Then why do you wanna sit out here so bad?"

She shifted. "I… When I was little, I used to cry every time there was a thunderstorm."

"Why?"

"It's how my parents died."

Junpei was shocked. Her parents weren't dead. They were right inside, making dinner. Was Michiko trying to joke with him or something?

"What?"

"My real parents. They died when I was two. They went for a drive during a thunderstorm and they never came back. They hydroplaned and went off the highway."

"I… what happened to you after?"

"My real mother's brother and his wife adopted me."

"What about your sister?"

"Well, she's my cousin technically. I've always considered her my sister, and my parents are my parents. They've been for a long time."

Junpei nodded. "The people that love you are your family."

Michiko nodded, leaning back and closing her eyes. "I agree…"

"If you hate thunderstorms so much, why do you want to sit out here with me?"

"Well, I don't like them in a way, but in another, I do. They… remind me of you, Junpei."

He smiled against her neck. "Why's that?"

"The warrior of thunder thing," she murmured. She turned and looked at him. "It's the only thing I like about them."

"Michiko," he murmured. "I really do love you."

"I love you too."

**

* * *

**

"I thought I'd find you here."

Kouji looked up, finding Keiko standing there with an umbrella over her head. "I've been coming here all week," he said with a dry laugh. "Ever since you took me here, it's been my place to think."

"I come here a lot, too," Keiko said, closing the umbrella and taking a seat on the swing next to the raven. "Kouichi was worried about you. If he didn't have the flu, he's be here instead, you know."

"Yeah…"

She smiled. "Who gets the flu in the end of May anyway?"

"Him, apparently." He looked over at her. "Get your umbrella back out, you'll get sick."

"Speak for yourself, you're soaked."

"I'm wearing my school uniform."

"So am I."

His eyebrow twitched. "Well, I'm not wearing a skirt."

"Yeah, well."

"Well what?" He hated when she said that. "You don't plan on leaving any time soon, do you?"

"Kouichi told me to bring you back, so here I am!" She beamed at him. "Trust me, if I had the choice, I'd be home, drinking hot chocolate and watching a sappy romance movie."

"Sounds nice." He stared at the mud accumulating beneath his feet. "See, the thing is… I don't want to go home. Izumi's there visiting with Kouichi."

"Come with me, then. You even said the hot cocoa and the movie sounded nice."

Kouji mulled it over. Keiko sort of annoyed him at times. Not as much as she used to, but… Well, going with Keiko was better than seeing Izumi.

"I'll go with you," he muttered. "On one condition."

"What's that?" she asked, standing up.

"We watch a movie I pick out. And we watch it in the huge theater in the basement."

She smiled, sticking her hand out. "Deal!"

He gave a little quirk of the lips and took her hand.

**

* * *

**

"We've been together for five years now," Akira said softly, the sheets draped over his waist as he laid on his stomach, his arms wrapped around a pillow as he watched Saburo towel off with lazy eyes.

Saburo turned, his hair still damp. "It's really been that long, hasn't it?"

Akira hummed, his eyes taking in the sight of the brunette, freshly showered, his hair mussed slightly, lean muscled body cut off by the white towel, which contrasted against his lightly tanned skin. "It has…"

Saburo walked over to the bed, still clad in only a towel. He sat on the side, running his hand down Akira's back, stopping by his tailbone, where the rest of the sheet covered him up. He stared at Akira's back for a long moment. "I love you. You know that, right?"

Akira nodded. "Yeah. And I love you too."

Saburo kissed the slightly younger teen on the back of his neck, leaving his face there. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Me neither." Akira flipped onto his back, cupping Saburo's cheeks and kissing him on the forehead. "I don't want to be with anybody else."

Saburo shook his head. "Neither do I." He moved back and stared at Akira. "And I'm being serious. There'll never be anybody but you."

"I know. And you're all I want."

**

* * *

**

"How's it going, Izumi?" Hotaka, the same guy that got into a fight with Kouji, asked, leaning against the locker and smirking at the blonde.

She blinked. "Fine."

"Hmm, you know what day it is?"

"No, I don't."

"The last big track meet's today," he said. "And I wanted to know if you wanted to come and watch me."

She frowned. "Well, tonight's Tamotsu's last lacrosse game, and I already decided I was going to his with my friends. I'm sorry."

"That's fine." He waved his hand dismissively. "Maybe some other time."

She smiled politely. "Maybe."

He walked away, and a few seconds later, Kouji walked up to her locker, narrowing his eyes at Hotaka's retreating form. "What'd he want?"

"Nothing really," Izumi said, smiling at her friend. "You still coming to the lacrosse game?"

Kouji nodded. "Yep."

"Isn't it great that Tamotsu got onto Varsity this year?" Izumi beamed, shutting her locker. "The only sophomore too!"

Kouji grumbled. "He's been playing his whole life."

"Don't tell me you're upset that you didn't get on," she said, frowning at the raven. "Come on, this is only your second year playing and you're already one of the best on the JV team!"

He smirked down at her. "I was kidding."

Izumi huffed. "I can't tell sometimes! You're so weird!"

"I know."

**

* * *

**"How cute. You really didn't have to do that."

Keiko smiled. "I wanted to. I think I look awesome."

He shook his head. "You really have a lot of friends, don't you?"

Keiko grinned. Tamotsu's jersey number was 19, so she'd gone to the girls' lacrosse team and asked who number 19 was. A senior named Minori had let Keiko wear her uniform to the boy's game. Keiko of course gave the girl a chunk of change for the favor. So there she was, standing there in the girls' lacrosse uniform, eye black on her cheeks and her hair tied in a ribbon.

It reminded Tamotsu why he loved her.

"You really didn't have to go all out like this though." He scratched the back of his head. "It's just a game."

"It's your tournament, actually," she said. "It's really not a big deal. I like doing things for you."

He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Thanks, toots. I'd better get going though. I'm late as it is."

"I'll see you in a little bit. Good luck. You can do it."

"Thanks." He jogged off.

"You know, you're lucky to have him."

Keiko turned, surprised to see Miyu standing behind her, her arms crossed over her chest.

"What do you mean?"

"You never realized it?" the girl tilted her head to the side. "Well… I guess I won't tell you, then."

"Wait, what're you talking about, Miyu?"

She sighed. "Well, it sucks that I'm the one that has to say this, but… do you think he could be getting sick of you?"

Keiko felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. "W-What?"

"I mean, he could get any girl he wants in the entire school, but he picked you. And don't get me wrong, you're a good choice for his reputation, you're cute, popular, rich, athletic."

"I don't understand…"

"Don't you see the way he looks at other girls? He probably wants some more variety in his life. He doesn't want to be tied down to you forever."

"I don't plan on marrying him, you know," Keiko said, narrowing her eyes.

"I just thought you should know. He's so… naïve, almost. I feel like if he was ever tempted, he would just walk out."

"How could you say that? You don't even know Tamotsu."

"But I _was_ there at that party he was smashed at. And I saw some things."

"What things?" Keiko asked, nervous. "What did you see?"

"Look, I don't want to get into this anymore," Miyu said, sighing. "I don't want to start any more drama between anybody in our group."

"But you just told me you saw something. You can't just expect me to know something happened and not go crazy about it…"

"Okay, I can see where you're coming from, because if Takuya cheated on me, I'd- oops!"

Keiko was dead silent. "Ch-cheated? He cheated on me?"

Miyu sighed. "I'm sorry you had to hear about it like that, Keiko."

"I…" Keiko turned away. "Maybe you should just go."

"Remember." Miyu placed a hand on Keiko's shoulder. "If you ever want to talk, let me know."

"Okay."

* * *

"Tamotsu's so good!" Izumi exclaimed, her eyes wide. "I never really realized it!"

"He could be the best on the team," Kouji muttered, watching every move the blonde made on the field, studying him, though he didn't want anybody to know he was. He was supposed to be rivals with Tamotsu, wasn't he?

"Go Tamotsu!" Michiko exclaimed, jumping up and down in the stands. She, Keiko, Izumi and Atsuko all painted letters on their stomachs. She was the 'TA'. Keiko had 'MO' (and for some reason, she was sort of only half-enthusiastic), Atsuko had the 'TS' and Izumi was 'U!'.

Miyu and Takuya came up hand-in-hand to their area at that moment. Miyu sort of looked at the girls, scrunching up her nose and huffing. Izumi smirked and grinned at Keiko, who gave her a strained smile.

"I'm surprised you came," Kouji said. "I thought you'd be too busy."

"Tamotsu's my friend, whether you'd like to believe it or not. I like to show support for my friends, unlike somebody."

"Cool it, guys," Junpei said. "We're here for Tamotsu, not to argue with each other."

"Miyu, come here," Michiko said, smiling brightly. She was going to be civil with her. "You can be another two exclamation points."

Miyu smiled and walked up to the auburn haired girl. "Hey, Michiko. I'm going to be honest with you, okay?"

The shorter teen blinked, nodding slowly. "O-Okay…"

"I don't think you should have your tummy showing like that, honey," Miyu whispered.

Michiko stared for several seconds. "What?"

"Well, it looks like you've been gaining a lot of weight ever since softball's ended."

"I-It's only been over for a week…"

"Exactly."

Michiko looked down at herself. "I… don't have anything else to change into. Just this belly shirt."

"Hey, we can switch then. And I'll be the 'TA', okay?"

"O-Okay."

They went behind the bleachers and switched shirts.

Junpei tilted his head to the side when Michiko came back up, wearing a t-shirt instead of what she was wearing earlier. "Why'd you change, babe?"

She shook her head, sitting down next to him and staring at her feet. _~Am I… fat?~_

Izumi narrowed her eyes at Miyu, who had taken Michiko's place. _~What in the world's going on?~_

**

* * *

**"That was a great game you played, Tamotsu," Junpei said, offering the blonde a smile, as he rubbed his girlfriend's neck. He still hadn't figured out what was wrong with her. But he was going to find out.

"Thanks," Tamotsu said, grinning giddily. Keiko had brought them out to dinner to celebrate the lacrosse team's win. She didn't say anything about what Miyu had said to her. She didn't want to ruin his great mood about scoring two points.

The blonde turned to Kouji. "You know what the guys on the team were saying? The juniors, at least?"

"What?"

"They said when I'm a junior and they're seniors and they get to vote for the captains at the end of the season, it's gonna be me."

"Well, that's pretty obvious," Kouji said, crossing his arms over his chest. "The guys on the JV team say the same thing."

Tamotsu shook his head. "Well, that's not the thing. They said you're probably gonna be the other captain."

Kouji looked shocked for a second. "Me?"

Tamotsu grinned, nodding. "They think you're good, man. And they want the two of us to take care of the team while they're gone."

"Wow…" Kouji cleared his throat, trying to keep the giddiness out of his voice. "You serious?"

Tamotsu nodded, grinning. "Dead serious."

Izumi smiled at Kouji. "Two years and you'll be the captain! Sweet!"

The waitress came up to the table at that moment. Everybody gave her their orders, and Michiko was last.

"Um…" She stared at her menu. "I'll just have water."

"No food?" the waitress asked, tilting her head to the side.

"No thank you." She handed her menu to the woman.

"Aren't you gonna eat something?" Junpei asked quietly, looking over at his girlfriend.

She shook her head. "I'm not very hungry."

"Babe, what's been bothering you?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and pulled at her shirt. "I'm fine."

"Michiko-"

"I'm fine. Really."

He sighed. He'd let it go for now. But when they got back to his place, he'd make sure he figured it out.

**

* * *

**Michiko stared at her reflection. Was she fat? She lifted her shirt (actually, it was Junpei's shirt, now that she changed for bed) up, staring at her stomach. She sucked it in, then pushed it out, putting her hand over it and rubbing.

"Stop it, you're beautiful."

Michiko turned and looked at Junpei, who was coming into the bedroom clad only in a pair of sweats.

She pushed the shirt back down. "Sorry."

"For what?" he asked, going up behind her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "You've been acting weird ever since the game. What happened?"

She smiled up at him. "You're just being paranoid! Nothing's wrong." She turned and wrapped her arms around his middle. "This is one of the last nights we'll have together for a while. Let's not dwell on silly things."

"Michi-"

"Please."

He sighed. "You called your parents?"

"I told them I'm at Keiko's house for the night."

"Good." He pulled her to the bed, placing her on his lap. He ran his hands up her thighs, pushing kiss after kiss to her collarbone.

She sighed and sifted her fingers through his hair. _~What did I do to deserve somebody like this?~_

"You're perfect," he said softly, pulling the shirt over her head and leaving her just in a bra and panties.

"I'm not too fat?" she asked before she could stop herself.

He blinked, taken aback. "Fat? Who the fuck told you that?"

She tried to make her mouth work. "I…"

"Michiko, do you think you're fat? For real?" Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed her arm and pulled her off the bed, bringing her over to the mirror. Firmly, he planted her in front of it. "Tell me, where're you fat? Do you see yourself?"

He let his hand glide over her stomach. "You're got a flat stomach, nice legs, a cute little butt… And you think you're fat?"

"Somebody told me I was gaining weight ever since softball ended."

"Who?" He was angry now.

"I don't want to say."

"Michiko. Tell me. Who called you fat?"

"M-Miyu."

**

* * *

**

"You really need to learn to keep your bitch in check!"

Takuya didn't expect Junpei to stomp in his direction the second he got to his locker on Monday morning. "What?"

"Miyu." Junpei slammed his hand on the locker next to Takuya. "She told Michiko she's fat."

"Dude, I can't fucking control what she says!" Takuya snapped. "And I doubt she called her fat."

"Are you telling me she lied about it?"

There was a crowd forming around them now, people having heard the two fighting from all down the hall.

"Michiko could be being a drama queen. We all know the girls hate Miyu, so of course they're gonna make shit up like that."

"Michiko's been nothing but nice to Miyu!" Junpei yelled. "It's the others that haven't been, not that she deserves it!"

"Miyu hasn't even done anything wrong! As soon as they found out I was with Miyu when I came back, everybody was pissed off! What, are you all mad that Izumi and I didn't end up together like you all wanted?"

The crowd was murmuring things back and forth, not knowing what they were talking about.

"Maybe we're not all crazy! Maybe Miyu actually is a bitch and we're just not blinded by love like you!"

"I'm not blinded by love! You're not being supportive! A good friend would be! I supported you when you fucked Tomoki over, didn't I?"

"That's not the point," Junpei said through gritted teeth. "The point is that you're girlfriend called mine fat. And you'd better tell her that if it happens again, she'll be sorry."

"Tell her yourself, you pussy."

"I just don't want to hit a girl." Junpei clenched his fist. "And if I hear about Miyu calling her fat again, I'll be sure to take care of it myself."

Takuya crossed his arms over her chest. "Sorry if Michiko's sensitive. Maybe she _could _lose a few pounds."

Junpei turned around and slapped Takuya across the face as hard as he could. Not seeing it coming, Takuya fell to the ground, blood dripping out of his mouth.

"I don't want to hear her name on your lips," Junpei said, bending down. "Of all people, the last person I expected to call one of their own friends a name was you."

As Junpei walked away and the little crowd cheered, Takuya realized that Junpei was right.

What was happening to him?

"That was a cheap shot he had, man."

Takuya looked up to see a hand outstretched to him. Hotaka's hand to be more exact. The same guy that Kouji fought. "Yeah…" Takuya took his hand, allowing the teen to help him up.

"You alright?" Hotaka asked, his light brown hair falling in front of his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He caught me off guard."

"I always thought you and Junpei were close," Hotaka said, tipping his head to the side. "Guess I was wrong. Some friend he is, huh?"

Takuya nodded. "My friends haven't really been there for me too much lately."

"I can see that. If you need anywhere to sit at lunch today, feel free to sit at my table, alright?"

Takuya smiled. "Thanks. I'll be sure to do that."

Hotaka grinned. "Great."

**

* * *

**My question this time… is a double question question! xD

First, what are your three favorite pairings that aren't couples at this moment?

Secondly, what do you think were the top five saddest moments over the course of the story?

Thanks for reading! I hope you all liked it!


	22. End of Words

So… A word about Izumi's breasts.

Izumi: You're kidding, right?

No.

Okay, so I'm just gonna clear something up in this peeze. Izumi's boobs aren't like, Rangiku boobs or anything, trust me. xD Okay, so go on google and look up Pamela Anderson (you have to have your safesearch off) and it should be the second picture. She's wearing a tannish bikini. THOSE are Izumi's tits, right there, dude. Seriously, though, Pamela's so beautiful. ;,) OKAY. ON WITH IT.

To answer my own questions… My favorite pairings of the day are (and these will most likely be completely different tomorrow.)… Takumi, Kouisuko and Kouchiko (weird huh? it just works for me. xD)

And the five saddest moments for me to write as an author were…

5. Takuya becoming the human seal

4. Takuya telling Kouji he loves him

3. Takuya crying over his dad

2. Tamotsu visiting Asashi's grave

1. Asashi's death

**Review replies to chapter 21:**

**Girlslikeeboys: **Naughty, naughty. Hmm, that you do. Not sure why, though. HEH, Junpei didn't just slap sense into him. He bitch slapped the shit out of him. HMM. A half Tamotsu token for you Glen Coco, you go Glen Coco!

**Azurai Wolf: **WOW! Thank you so much! :D I'm glad you like Keiko so much too! :D Ooh, good moments! They were all sad for me too. D: So you get a Tamotsu Token! YAY! Thanks so much for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Caliboy: **Haha! My city had the first electric chair ever! xD Nice moments! A Tamotsu Token for you! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **I tried to get this one out quickly! I'm pretty close, right? I know, right? Nice way to describe Miyu, by the way. xD Ooh, good ideas. I think deep inside, everybody in this story likes Tamotsu. ;D Keiko and Kouji are becoming closer friends. (: Thank you for reviewing and I hope you like this next chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **I love Michiko too. She's so sweet. :D I think everybody is! Yesyes, Keiko and Kouji are finally becoming sort of friends. Thanks for da cookies and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **I know. It's so sad. D: Miyu's a bitch! Aha, no, they're not married, but I kind of like the idea of those two in suits. ;) Here's a Tamotsu Token! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**XxXxCherry KissXxXx: **Oh wow, thank you! I'm glad ya like it! :D It does? Wow, that's pretty cute. :D Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**DephsXylex: **I actually don't think age matters at all. I think love sees no race, gender, religion, age or anything. Love is love. :D Atsuko? Actually, they're not official yet. Kouichi needs to pull up his big boy pants and make it happen though! Well, he ALMOST got a blow job when he was drunk, but, well, we all know how that turned out for him! xD WOW! You really explained those moments really well! For that, you get TWO Tamotsu Tokens! :D Thank you so much for your amazing review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**

* * *

**For the rest of the school year, Takuya and Miyu sat with Hotaka at his table. It was like a slap in the face. In the few weeks Takuya had been back, everything fell apart.

The only people in the group that had any contact with Takuya over summer break were Keiko, Tamotsu and Kouichi. Izumi didn't want to speak to Takuya, even though he tried calling her at least once a week; Kouji didn't want anything to do with him until he apologized. Junpei thought that if he saw Takuya again, he might punch the brunette in the face and Tomoki didn't want to talk to ANYBODY.

Over the summer, Keiko asked Tamotsu if the cheating story was true. He was shocked and angry. He said he was angry that Miyu would out something like that into Keiko's head, but he was even angrier that Keiko believed it. Things were weird between the two of them after that.

Once school started up again, Kouji was walking down the hall with his brother, and he had to force himself not to punch Takuya or Hotaka or _both _in the face. They were hanging out together with Hotaka's little band of idiots who thought they were hilarious, but everybody in the school knew they were jerk-offs.

"I can't believe he's really friends with them now," Kouichi said softly as he opened his locker.

"I can." Kouji tossed his books into the metallic shelf, slamming his locker shut. "And that's what sucks the most."

Kouichi sighed. "Maybe you should try to talk to him. Do you really want to lose your best friend over this?"

"At this point, I don't really care…"

The older twin knew this wasn't true, just by the way Kouji said it. He placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. "You and I both know that isn't true."

The younger said nothing.

"If you ever want to talk about anything, you know I'm here."

Kouji smiled weakly. "Thanks."

**

* * *

**

"_There've been several reports of strange people in costumes wielding weapons attacking civilians. Just yesterday, a video was sent in of one of these creatures."_

Keiko and Kouji stared at the television, the brunette with wide eyes and the raven with narrowed ones. It was an amateur video taken on a phone or something of the sort, but they could clearly hear people screaming and the roar of something. They could make out the phrase, "Double Impact!" before the screen went black. The woman on the news kept going on about the attacks, but Kouji turned to Keiko.

"Beelzemon."

"Correct!" Keiko jumped when Veenomon appeared from across the room. "Nice ear, Kouji!"

Keiko took a deep breath and put a hand over her heart. "Don't scare us like that, Veenomon."

"Speak for yourself, she didn't scare me," Kouj muttered. "Do you know about the attacks?"

"Yeah, that's why we're here." Lobomon was leaned up against the wall opposite from Veenomon. "We need to get together. All of us. We've finally found a way to fusion evolve."

"Really?" Kouji asked. "So I can turn into Beowolfmon and Takuya can turn into Aldamon?"

Veenomon nodded. "Not only that, but everybody else can fusion evolve now!"

Keiko gawked. "I get to fusion evolve too?"

Veenomon nodded, grinning. "Chikarimon and I are so excited about it too! We're gonna be awesome!"

Keiko cheered and jumped up and down with her Digimon counterpart.

Kouji sighed and rolled his eyes, looking over to Lobomon. "Well, we'd better get moving, huh?"

Lobomon nodded. "Yes."

**

* * *

**"I'm so excited!" Izumi cried. "Is my evolution pretty? Is it cool? Can I-"

"Izumi," Junpei muttered. "You'll wake somebody up in the nearby houses. They'll be freaked out if they see a bunch of teens outside at one in the morning."

"Can I backflip? Can I, can-can I punch through a wall?"

"Of course you can!" Kazemon cried. "We're gonna be the coolest fusion out of them all~!"

"No way, that's totally gonna be me and Kumamon!" Tomoki exclaimed.

The entire group was shocked as they looked at Tomoki, who was acting like his old self. He blinked. "What…?"

Izumi grinned. "Yeah right, Tomoki! We'll destroy you on the coolness factor!"

"Can we hurry?" Takuya asked, looking sheepish. "I've got plans tonight."

"What, with Miyu?" Kouji sneered.

"Seriously, shut the fuck up Kouji," Takuya huffed. "I can't believe you're letting this come between us."

"I can't believe you're letting that chick take over your whole life."

"I can't believe people actually like you."

"I can't-"

"I can't believe the two of you are fighting over a girl!" Kouichi finally yelled, shocking all of the teens. "Come _on! _Takuya, think about the time Kouji stayed up with you all night after your father died! And Kouji, how about when Takuya left his window open and let you climb in after all those girls you hooked up with? You really want to forget about everything you've been through together for Miyu?"

There was dead silence. Everybody was staring at Kouji and Takuya, waiting to see who was going to make the next move. When neither did, both standing there stubbornly, Agunimon cleared his throat. "I guess we'd better get started with this. Your spirits will do all the work. Just yell out your spirit's affinity and then 'fusion evolution'. As usual, it'll be a merge. Who wants to go first?"

Nobody spoke up, so Tomoki stepped forward. "I'll do it. Ready Kumamon?"

The bear smiled and nodded.

"Alright! Ice! Fusion evolution!"

With a flash of icy blue light, Tomoki transformed into his fused form, his clothing being covered in ice before melting off in rivulets of water. A tight, long-sleeved white shirt with fur on the hood. He had a large blue and red striped popsicle, strangely enough. Purple pants and black boots finished the outfit. His hair had turned white, and his eyes became the same purple color. "Daipenmon!"

"Um. Well. This is interesting," Tomoki muttered, staring at himself.

"Hey, you actually lucked out," Kazemon said, smiling. "The fused versions of your spirits actually make a giant purple penguin."

"Badass," Tomoki muttered, pulling at his sleeves. "Somebody else go. I feel weird."

"I'll go," Kouichi said. "Darkness! Fusion evolution!"

Blackness surrounded Kouichi, and with it, his clothes dissolved into blackness, and red-brown armor clamped down on his chest and around his hips. Black armor pulled around his legs, turning to gold at his feet. Metallic gold wings came off his back, and the armor came to cover his eyes. A silver staff appeared in his hand. "Rhihimon!"

"Wow, you look so cool!" Izumi exclaimed, her eyes wide as she admired her friend.

"I'll go next," Junpei said, taking a deep breath. "Thunder! Fusion evolution!"

With a flash of lightning and a roll of thunder, Junpei transformed into his fusion form. His clothes tore off quickly and he was almost entirely covered by blue and gold armor, white stemming off from some places. His hands were covered by a hard, ivory substance, and a white helmet of the same substance covered his head, going down to his chin. His eyes were a pale red, strangely haunting. "RhinoKabuterimon!"

"So?" He tipped his head to the side. "How do I look?"

"Awesome!" Izumi squealed. "This is so cool! Well, who's next?"

"I'll go," Keiko said, smiling and stepping up. "Love! Fusion evolution!"

A bright gold color wrapped around her body, her clothes melting into her skin. A golden bikini top appeared on her body, bright threads of gold zigzagging down her stomach before connecting to a matching gold gladiator skirt. She wore golden gladiator sandals on her feet and her knuckles had strange gold coverings on them. Oddly, her hair and eye color didn't change. "Amoremon!"

"Kyaa~!" Izumi squealed at her friend's appearance. "You look so sexy Keiko!"

The brunette blushed and smiled. "Thanks!"

"I'm next," Kouji muttered. "Light! Fusion evolution!"

Kouji's clothes became a blinding white color before dissolving away in a flash of light. White armor stretched across his chest and down his legs to just past his knees. The armor also wrapped around his elbows and wrists. He wore white shoes, and in his hands were two gold swords, which shone even in the dark. His eyes remained the same, as did his hair. This seemed to be much more lightweight than what he wore during his non-merged fusion evolution. "Beowolfmon!"

"I kinda like this one better," Keiko admitted. "It looks really nice."

"Hn." Kouji stared at himself. "Not much protection from attacks."

"I can't wait any longer! I'm gonna go!" Izumi exclaimed. "Wind! Fusion evolution!"

Purple wind whipped around the blonde, ripping her clothes to shreds. A skin tight white bikini bottom with purple lining hugged the curve of her hips and a matching top went with it. The top was white with purple lining as well, modeled to be like a bikini top. Long purple boots with white rocket boosters on the back went up her legs and her blonde hair had a streak of lavender in it. The look was finished off with a giant blue and white pinwheel. "JetSilphymon!"

"Wow Izumi!" Keiko crowed, her eyes wide. "You look amazing!"

"Thank you!" Izumi said, smiling at herself. "I feel different."

"Alright, last but not least…" Takuya grinned. "Fire! Fusion evolution!"

Takuya's clothes were destroyed in a burst of flame that wrapped around his entire body. Bright orange wings sprouted from his back, looking like flame. Red, yellow and black armor appeared around his chest and upper arms and down to his shins and yellow plates hovered over his arms as guns. Yellow pads on his knees and elbows were engraved with the symbol of fire. A mask to cover from the bridge of his nose and up was red and yellow with orange outlining. His hair had grown out to spill down his back in chocolate spikes. "Aldamon!"

Takuya smiled. "I can't believe I'm Aldamon again. It feels nice to be him once again."

"Izumi, are those rocket boosters?" Keiko asked, poking at the jets on the back of Izumi's boots. "You don't have wings, so they must be…"

"You don't have wings either," Izumi said, tilting her head to the side. "What happened to them?"

"I dunno…" Keiko tried to look at her back. "I'm like… a gladiator."

"It's sexy though," Izumi said. "I mean, you look hot, but you could totally kill somebody."

"Okay, so you think we can defeat the Demon Lords in these forms?" Tomoki asked.

Takuya smirked. "We'll just have to see."

**

* * *

**

Keiko fidgeted as she sat next to Tamotsu on his couch, the two of them watching TV. Her hand itched to hold his, but she had a feeling it would just make things worse between them. They hadn't had sex in weeks, they rarely kissed or hugged or even held hands. Things were beginning to go down the toilet, and it was killing both of them.

"I think I should go home now," she said softly, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I've got a lot of homework and stuff."

His eyes wandered up to her face. "Alright."

"I'll see you at school tomorrow," she said, leaving the room.

"Bye."

She got out of the house and walked down the street, shivering at the brisk air that hit her. Had Miyu been the catalyst for ruining their relationship? First, she'd lied about the cheating thing, Keiko had asked around and everybody who was at the party said he had two beers and went home. Then, after Keiko confronted him, he was angry that she'd actually think he'd do something like that.

They'd argued to the point where Tamotsu left her house and the two refused to talk to each other for a week. Tamotsu had been the one to break the silence, calling Keiko and apologizing weakly for overreacting.

They didn't talk it out, instead working their way into an awkward routine.

She sighed and pulled her phone out, calling Saburo.

"Saburo? This is Keiko."

"_Hey, Keiko. What's up?"_

"Um, nothing. Are you busy right now?"

"_Nope, just finishing up Akira's handjob. Why, what's going on?"_

She smiled as she heard Akira hiss something, followed by Saburo replying with something dirty, then Akira moaning into what sounded like a pillow. "Could you pick me up from the park in a half hour or something? I really need some ice cream."

"I'll be there. See you in a bit."

Keiko's face turned red when she realized Saburo forgot to disconnect his phone.

"_Aww, baby, don't hide. I wanna see and hear everything."_

Keiko closed her phone, shivering.

**

* * *

**

"Kouji?" Izumi asked from his side on her couch.

"Yeah?"

"Is everything okay?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've just been acting kind of weird lately. And it's only around me… I just wanted to know if you were alright. I've been worried."

"I'm fine." _~Even though I have to watch you get your heart broken more and more every day. I just wish you could see that I'm the one that's here for you.~_

"Hmm, okay," she said, sighing. "But I want you to know I'm here for you."

"I know that," he murmured, feeling his heart clench painfully. "I know."

"Kouji, what's the matter?" she asked, her usual tone turning into a soft, coaxing one. "You look like you're going to cry."

"I'm not." He stood up. "I'm going home."

"Kouji, wait!" Izumi stood up. "Why are you acting like this?"

He wanted to spin around and snap that it was because he was madly in love with her, because everything she did drove him crazy and because he'd never liked any girl the way he'd liked her. But he shook his head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Izumi just watched as he left.

**

* * *

**"The first week of school is finally over!" Takuya exclaimed, flopping down on Miyu's bed, smelling the sheets. "God, it's going to be a long year, I can tell already."

"Don't let that bitch and her friends ruin your school year," Miyu said, coming to sit down next to the brunette.

"Hmm?" Takuya looked at his girlfriend. "Actually, I wasn't talking about them. Uh, I was just thinking that school's gonna be tough, with all the work and everything…"

"Oh." Miyu gave a strained smile. "Never mind, then!"

"Miyu, I don't know why you hate them so much," he said, sitting up. "They're my friends, and I-"

"They're your friends, really?" Miyu asked, glaring. "If they were really your friends they wouldn't have abandoned you like this."

Takuya frowned. "It went two ways. It wasn't just them, you know… It was me too."

Miyu huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, defend them if you want to! You never take my side!"

"Well, when you act like a little brat, I don't ever want to," Takuya muttered, dropping his face back into the sheets.

He didn't hear her speak for several seconds after that, so he lifted his head back up, shocked to see that she was crying. "Miyu, don't cry!" He got up and onto his knees, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry I was mean to you. I didn't mean to make you upset."

"Ever since the end of last year you've been acting differently," she sobbed. "You act like you love Izumi more than you love me!"

"Miyu, how many times do I have to tell you?" Cupping her chin, he tilted her face up. "I love you, not Izumi. She's my friend, nothing more. And Michiko, Keiko and Atsuko and a couple other girls are my friends as well."

"But they're not whores like Izumi! She banged half of the guys in the school!" she sobbed. "And I only have you as experience, so sometimes I worry that you'll leave me for her, because she's been around more…"

Takuya blinked. Izumi had sex with all those guys…? He figured she was a virgin, unless she had sex with Asashi before he died. "That's not true at all. You should know that baby. You're really… all I've got right now."

She sniffled and wrapped her arms around her brunette. "Then prove it."

"I don't understand," he said slowly.

She looked up at him, her eyes dark. "Tell Izumi you don't want to be her friend anymore."

**

* * *

**

"Akira?" Saburo said softly, placing his hand on the dip of his boyfriend's back, where the sheets were just beginning to cover his nudity.

"Hmm?" Akira's eyes opened for a moment before sliding shut again. "Yeah, Saburo?"

"You know I'll always take care of you, right?" He stroked his back gently, caressing the smooth skin and causing Akira to shift.

The slightly smaller brunette's eyes fluttered open once again. "What?"

Saburo shook his head, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Never mind, babe. Go back to sleep."

Akira shut his eyes again and buried his face in Saburo's shoulder, falling asleep quickly.

Saburo breathed in the scent of Akira's hair. They'd been together for so long, now. He knew everything about the teen. Saburo would see on the news how celebrities got divorces or would break up, or his friends would break up with their girlfriends because they were spending too much time together.

But watching Akira sleep, the sheets pulled up to his hips, his hair slightly mussed up, his flat, defined stomach, the curve his bottom made against the sheets… Somehow after all this time, he couldn't get enough of the teen; he could never get sick of him.

He'd been with him for five years, he'd been able to stay close with all of his friends and his family, he didn't let his love life take over his life, although it was a big part of it. And the same with Akira: he was still on the baseball team while Saburo ran track. Things just seemed perfect.

And as he watched his lover sleep, bathed in the moonlight from the window, Saburo realized he would stay with this person for the rest of his life, he would give him whatever he wanted, he would make sure he never had to work a day in his life.

He loved Akira more than anything.

**

* * *

**"Your hair's gotten pretty long." Keiko turned to see Kouji sitting on the swing next to her. He pursed his lips. "Why?"

She blinked. "Does there have to be a reason?"

He huffed. "There's a reason behind everything you do."

"Well, it's kind of a shield." She waited for his laughter, but when it didn't come. "I… I've had it long for a couple years now, because… because I can sort of hide behind it, I guess."

"Hn."

"Was that a 'hn' to continue?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "_Hn._"

Decoding that 'hn' as a don't-change-the-subject 'hn', she pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Just… everything that's been going on, not only with Takuya, but with Tamotsu… It's just been hard. I feel like I'm on thin ice every time I see him. I know he's going to break up with me soon, but it's like he's waiting for the right time."

"Why would he break up with you?"

"Things've been weird. We just don't hang out as much, and whenever we do, we don't really… connect or hold hands or even kiss or hug. I don't know…"

"Hn."

A silence settled between the two of them for several minutes.

"Hey, Kouji? When are you going to tell Izumi you love her?"

Kouji glared at the girl, causing her to yelp and fall off of her swing from the sheer intensity. "Why do you want to know?" he spat.

She rubbed her butt and got back onto the swing gingerly. "Well, I just wanted to know. You can't keep it in forever."

"She loves Takuya."

"So?"

"What do you mean-" he made his voice obnoxiously high, "-_so_?"

She giggled at his annoyance. "Well, I think she should know! Sometimes, the most unexpected people can fall in love with you! Fate puts people together, you know!"

"How would you know?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… Saburo and Akira! They were put together for a reason. They need each other, you know? I think they're fated to be together. Maybe they were in another life!" She looked at Kouji, who looked like he was confused and annoyed. Maybe he was annoyed because he was confused. "Okay," she said, deciding to clarify. "Your true love is reborn into the same life with you. You try to find that person so you can be happy with your true love. So I bet Saburo and Akira were lovers in other lives, and now they're lovers now!"

"Hopeless romantic," Kouji muttered, smirking regardless. "What were you in your last past life?"

"Hmmm…" Keiko tapped her chin. "Higashikuni Shigeko."

Kouji's smirk grew. "The princess, huh? What about me?"

Without hesitating, Keiko chirped, "Jim Morrison!"

"Who?"

"An American singer," Keiko said, waving her hand.

"Hm."

Keiko smiled. "Kouji?"

"Hn?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Now my question this time...

Out of everybody in the story, who would be the best at...

1. Dancing?

2. Sweet talking?

3. Sex?

4. Seducing somebody?

5. Modeling?


	23. Not Enough For Me

So… I really liked this chapter for some reason. It was fun to write. Hooha. SO. Here're the review replies~!

**Review replies to chapter 22:**

**Azurai Wolf: **Me too, friend, me too. xD Ooh, and Koukei lover? I love your list! It makes me smile. :D Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Caliboy: **Yeah I know, but I really couldn't spend anymore time on their sophomore year. I'd already spend _21 _chapters on it. Saburo WOULD be the best at sex though. Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **You know how he rolls. I like that Tamotsu's a model. HEART. Izumi's was slutty? Keiko's was just as slutty you biased ho! You don't like Miyu? That's too bad, I thought she'd be yo favorite. I know. Yaoi. Just yaoi. He's not a tiny little bitch. He's just like, a teensy bit shorter and leaner than Saburo. She just needs to get laid, bro. That's all. Thanks for the review, porkie. :D

**DephsXylex: **Wowwie wow! Long answers! That gets ya a token! :D Aww, they are sweet though. Aww, I want a kitten! Mah cat died. D: Ooh, good idea. It'll be something like that, I promise. :D We'll see her and Kouichi soon, don't worry! :D I know! You always have really long, nice ones! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **I know! Poor Tomoki. Such a dorky fusion. D: Saburo and Akira are SOOOO cute. I love writing them. :D HAHA! I love Saburo's! A token for youuu! :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Jennison Silverye: **Thanks! I know. It's so sad! He certainly has chivalry, but he's losing his friends because of it. Kouichi owned Takuya though. :D Thanks! Tomoki's is so dorky. xD Miyu's a bitch. I can see where Keiko and Tamotsu are both coming from, though! Lol, don't be sorry. I love it when my readers give me feedback! :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**xoyelleee: **Yelle! :D SERIOUSLY? Oh my God, that's so funny. xD Kouji can be funnay sometimes. HAH! You help-ed meh. :D I don't think anyone would care, yo. Thanks for da review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

Tamotsu Token winners are… DephsXylex and Celestial Writer! :D

H'okay. To answer muh own question~!

Dancing? Keiko. :D

Sweet Talking? Erm… Michiko. She's so cute. ;)

Sex? Saburo. HEART HIM.

Seducing? Heh. Kouuuuji.

Modeling? Tamotsu, bajeezus. :D

**

* * *

**

"Tamotsu?" Keiko asked quietly. "Why don't you just break up with me?"

The blonde blinked and stared at his girlfriend. "What are you talking about?"

She sighed. "Don't dodge the question. Please, just tell me."

He took a deep breath. "Because I don't want you to cry."

With a weak smile, she said, "I won't."

There were several moments of silence.

"Keiko. I think we should break up."

A nod. "Okay."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't want it to end this way."

"It's okay." She stood up. "It was good while it lasted."

Tamotsu stood up as well, walking over and wrapping his arms around the brunette. "I know."

Her heart clenched in her chest. This would be the last time they would hug like this. They wouldn't kiss again, they'd never hold hands, they wouldn't have sex. It was final. They were done.

"I'd better get home," she said, looking up at him. "I'll see you in school."

"Right." He let her go. "I'll see you, Keiko."

"Bye, Tamotsu."

And it wasn't until she got home, until she got upstairs and into her room that it really hit her. It wasn't until she saw the picture of her and Tamotsu on her shelf that she realized they'd broken up for good, not just as a break, but for good.

She dropped onto her bed, dragging her pillow into her face.

**

* * *

**

"Is Keiko sick?" Izumi asked, looking at her raven haired friend.

He shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? You're her best friend."

She huffed. "Well, she hasn't returned my texts. I haven't talked to her since Saturday. And now it's Friday."

"No shit."

"Ugh!" She punched his arm. "Well, you're coming with me to Keiko's house after school today."

"Am I?"

"Yep."

"Guys, did you say you're going to see Keiko?" Takuya asked, walking up to the pair. "Can I come too?"

Kouji blinked, nodding. "Uh, sure."

**

* * *

**"How exactly are we supposed to get up onto the balcony?" Kouji asked dryly. "It's four stories up."

"Well, in case you've forgotten, I can fly," Izumi replied, smirking.

"Hn."

"Up we go!" she exclaimed, grabbing onto his and Takuya's hands and flying up onto Keiko's balcony. She stared through the window, her hand still in Kouji's. "Wow, she even pulled the curtains. You see anything?"

Takuya shook his head. "No."

"Well, I guess we'd better go in." She began to walk forward, but couldn't, because of Kouji's hand still holding tightly onto hers. "Can I have my hand back?" she asked, smiling.

He pulled his hand away, grumbling. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh. "C'mon."

The blonde opened the door, walking into the room. She turned to the left, where Keiko's bed was, surprised to see the brunette sitting up against the headboard, her eyes red and a huge container of ice cream on her lap. Around her was a bag of marshmallows, sprinkles, gummi bears, mint chips, peanut butter, chocolate syrup, almonds, pickle slices and caramel; all of which were mixed up into the ice cream. A movie was playing on the TV, an old black and white romance film. The man declared his love for the woman and Keiko threw one of her many boxes of tissues at the flat screen. "Liar!"

Kouji and Takuya walked in as well, staring at the sight.

"Keiko, you've got to be kidding me," Kouji muttered.

She wiped her nose, sniffling. "Tamotsu broke up with me."

"Yeah, we heard," Takuya said, walking over to Keiko's bed and taking a seat next to her. "That doesn't mean you need to hole yourself up in your room and eat the most disgusting things you can find."

"It's not disgusting!" she said. "It mends my broken heart!"

"Keiko, what have you been watching?" Izumi asked, staring at the stacks of DVDs. "An Affair to Remember? The Notebook? The Titanic? A Walk to Remember? Sleepless in Seattle? Are you really watching as many romance movies as you can?"

She sniffled again. "I have a broken heart."

"And you think sitting alone in your bed, crying all day's gonna help?" Kouji asked, grabbing her wrist as she tried to eat another bite of the pickle-ridden ice cream. "Give me that."

"No!" She tugged it to her mouth and took a big bite. "I do what I want!"

"What the fuck!" Kouji pulled away. "When was the last time you took a shower?"

She huffed indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "How rude!"

"Sorry, but you stink," Kouji snapped.

"Why would you say that? I'm in pain, can't you see?"

"Great, but that doesn't mean you can't take a shower! What's wrong with you?"

"My heart's been broken! If I got into the bath, I'd probably end up drowning myself!"

"Oh, don't be a drama queen, you smelly bitch."

"I'll punch you through a wall!"

"Come on, Keiko!" Izumi exclaimed, grabbing the brunette's arm and tugging her off the bed. "Let's get you into the shower!"

"I don't wanna!" she wailed, trying to pull away from the blonde. "No!"

"Keiko, come on! You don't want to rot, do you?"

"I won't rot! Lemme go!"

"See, all that sugar's got you weak! You can't even use your super strength!"

"Stop, Izumi!"

"Don't be dramatic!"

Keiko gasped loudly, flopping onto the ground. Izumi raised an eyebrow, seeing that the brunette was wearing Tamotsu's lacrosse shirt. "You've been wearing that shirt all week, haven't you?"

Keiko muttered something into the floorboards.

Izumi sighed. "Would you guys mind washing this for her? I doubt she'll want to wear anything else."

"Um, no problem," Takuya said, scratching the back of his head. "Just give it to us once she gets undressed."

"Nonsense. I'll just let you have it now." Izumi got down onto her knees and tugged the shirt off of Keiko.

Both boys gawked and shut their eyes, shocked.

"Don't be babies, it's only Keiko," Izumi said, tossing the shirt on the ground. She unclasped Keiko's bra and tugged her underwear off as well. She then tried to get the girl off the ground, finding herself unable to. "Guys, she's making herself deadweight! Can you help me?"

"She's naked!" Takuya exclaimed. "And I have a girlfriend!"

"Pussy!" Izumi yelled. "Kouji, can you help me?"

"Are you kidding?"

"No! Come on Kouji, please? For me? And Keiko, whose absolutely pathetic?"

"Not pathetic."

"Fine," the raven muttered. "But I'm keeping my eyes closed. Guide me."

"'Kay."

Kouji knelt down and felt Izumi's warm hands guide him to the brunette. He got one arm underneath her back and the other against the back of her knees. Izumi situated Keiko's arms. "Okay, Kouji. You can stand up. I'll lead you to the bathroom."

He nodded, standing up and lifting the girl up. He was led to the bathroom by Izumi, and he tried not to blush when her hands lay against his back. "Okay, you can set her down, Kouji. I've got it from here. Thank you."

He complied, trying not to get too flustered from the way Izumi said thank you, and, keeping his eyes closed, he turned and went out the door. Or at least he tried. He ended up running into the wall first.

"Careful!" Izumi cried, her eyes wide.

Kouji muttered something under his breath before successfully making it out the door and shutting it behind him.

"So, you wanna clean this place up?" Takuya asked, looking around the room. "Get rid of all the rotting food, for one…"

"Yeah, let's get this taken care of."

**

* * *

**"I know you're upset, and I don't blame you, but you can't do this to yourself, Keiko," Izumi said to her friend, once she'd gotten her into the hot bathwater. "You can't let it ruin your whole life."

Keiko had her knees pulled up to her chest, her long hair sticking to her back and shoulders. Izumi sighed, scooping up another bucket full of water and pouring it on her head.

She noticed just then that Keiko's eyes were beginning to water. The blonde placed her hand on Keiko's shoulder. "Let it out baby."

The brunette dropped her face into her knees and began sobbing.

**

* * *

**

"Did your brothers let you stay home this whole time?" Kouji asked. "My parents would never."

Keiko took a bite of her pizza. "Well, they didn't really want to argue, Naoki especially. He'd just bring me a new carton of ice cream every day as well as some more stuff to put in it. He just kept getting me stuff. New clothes, movies, jewelry, a car, a-"

"Wait, he got you a car because you and your boyfriend broke up?" Takuya asked, gawking.

"Well, he was gonna give it to me for my birthday in a few days anyway, but he gave it to me early."

"I was gonna say…" Takuya finished his third piece of pizza.

"I say we watch Austin Powers!" Izumi exclaimed, holding the DVD case up. "That's better than these pathetic romance movies you had playing before!"

Keiko pouted. "I like them."

"Well, we need to watch something funny," Izumi replied. "And Austin Powers is hilarious."

"Seriously? How about we watch something that's actually, I don't know, _funny?_" Takuya said.

"Austin Powers is hilarious!" Izumi snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah right! It's the dumbest movie ever!"

"You're obviously the dumb one!"

"Let's watch the Hangover!" Takuya got off the bed and went to the movie stack. "Maybe it'll actually get Keiko to _laugh_."

"The Hangover's so idiotic! Don't you know movies at all?"

"I do actually, and I know for a fact that Austin Powers is dumber than anything in the world! The Hangover's where it's at!"

"_Not! _The Hangover didn't even make me smile!"

"Well, I guess you're _Satan _then!"

Keiko and Kouji watched silently from the bed. The brunette got under the blankets and lay on her side, watching the two argue. Kouji looked down at her. "Tired?"

She shook her head. "Cold."

"Maybe it's from all that ice cream."

She smiled up at him. "Could be."

He nodded and looked over at the pair bickering over the movie. "They really love each other. They don't realize it, though."

"They really do. Izumi also doesn't realize she loves you," Keiko said softly.

"Hn." He smirked bitterly. "I doubt it."

"If you don't believe in yourself, what _do_ you believe in?"

He turned and saw the look on her face, the sheer hope sparkling in her eyes. "People like you," he murmured. "I believe in people like you."

She felt the urge to cry for him. He was really hurting. Normally, she didn't feel like crying. Maybe it was because of the fresh pain from her and Tamotsu's break up. Or maybe she was finally understanding Kouji. Understanding how he felt every single day. He never felt adequate enough for Izumi, never felt like he had a chance at her, or at anything for that matter. For years, he felt like he couldn't be friends with people, because he was afraid of losing them. But he put that fear aside. And now, it was happening again. Now that Takuya was back, he was losing Izumi. And it was hurting him.

Keiko got up onto her knees, crawling over and wrapping her arms around him. "_I _believe in you," she said.

He nodded. "I know."

She let go of him and went back to her spot, under the blankets.

"Keiko, what would you rather watch, since this _idiot _just can't see that the Hangover sucks?" Izumi called.

Keiko sighed. "Let Kouji pick."

His eye twitched when both Izumi and Takuya screeched about their movies, trying to get Kouji to side with one of them. "Let's watch Fatal Attraction."

They both gawked. "That's not the kind of movie we should watch!"

Keiko smiled. "I agree with Kouji. Let's watch Fatal Attraction."

The two teens limped away, wounded. Regardless, they put the movie in.

**

* * *

**Kouji woke up sometime in the middle of the night, grumbling and wondering where he was. After a moment, he remembered that, he, Takuya and Izumi had decided to spend the night. He found himself clothed in a pair of sweatpants, halfway under the blanket and freezing his ass off. He muttered some curses under his breath and pulled the comforter higher.

He looked down and saw that he, Izumi, Keiko and Takuya had all comfortably fit on the brunette's bed. Next to him was Keiko, and next to her was Izumi. On the other end of the bed was Takuya, who was saying something in his sleep, his limbs spread out awkwardly.

Kouji rolled his eyes, dropping his head back down onto the pillow and closing his eyes.

Every time he shut them, he could only see Izumi. Her bright green eyes twinkling deviously, her laughter, the wind blowing through her blonde hair, the way her hips swayed while she walked.

He opened them again, sitting up and looking over Keiko at Izumi. The blonde was sleeping soundly, her soft pink lips parted and her skin shimmering in the moonlight. Kouji felt a sudden jolt of déjà vu.

He was going to lean down and steal a second kiss from her, the first being from several months ago, but when she murmured, "Takuya" his eyes went wide and he slowly laid back down.

It was never going to be him, was it?

**

* * *

**

Izumi was the first one to wake up in the morning, when it was barely light out because of the gray clouds swirling around in the sky. She yawned, seeing that Keiko was sleeping soundly on her right, facing away from her. She felt a weight on her back, and she turned her head slightly to find Takuya spooned up against her back, breathing against the back of her neck.

She slowly tried to move obviously didn't know what he was doing. Instead of letting her move away, his arm tightened around her, and he buried his face into her shoulder. "Mmmm…"

"T-Takuya," she said softly, trying not to wake anybody up. "Takuya-"

It was then that she felt something hard against her backside. Her eye twitched. _~Is that… his morning wood?~_

He rubbed against her slowly, grinding his hardness against her. She squeaked. "Ta-"

He hummed and pressed his lips against her neck. His hand snaked around and grabbed her breast, squeezing lightly through her tank top.

"Takuya, wake up," she whispered, trying to disengage his hand.

He began humping her harder, his face flushing with pleasure. "Ah…"

She felt like she was going to faint. Or she was going to have a massive nosebleed. Then it all faded when she realized he was probably dreaming about Miyu giving him a-

"Izumi!" he gasped.

The blonde yelped, jumping so violently that she sent him falling off the bed. His arm was still around her, so of course, that sent her off the bed as well. In a last ditch effort to save herself, she grabbed the blanket, which was folded underneath Kouji's side. That dragged him off the side of the bed, and since Keiko was on his side, on the inside of the bed, the brunette went tumbling off.

Izumi landed on top of Takuya, his erection poking into her back. Keiko dropped halfway on top of Izumi, and Kouji slammed down on top of her, causing the smaller teen to yelp.

They all laid there together, a tangle of limbs. Takuya cleared his throat. "Good morning."

Izumi gasped and rolled off him quickly, looking scandalized. Kouji groaned and got off of Keiko. "What the hell?"

"Not sure how that happened," Takuya said with a yawn, stretching his arms out. He picked his phone up off the side table and looked at it. "Twelve missed calls?"

"Probably from crazy," Kouji muttered.

Takuya looked at his phone. "All from Miyu…" He looked at his text messages next. "Oh shit."

"What's the matter?" Keiko asked, her voice scratchy from just waking up. She climbed back into bed, getting under the blankets. The house was freezing.

"I forgot… I was supposed to hang out with Miyu last night. I guess I just got so caught up being with you guys… I mean, I had more fun last night than I have in a while…"

Izumi couldn't help but smile. "Because you were with your friends."

"Yeah…" He stared at his phone. "I don't even know why I'm with her anymore, sometimes. She can be really sweet, but other times she's just so rude. I think I'm afraid of her being really upset if I dumped her, so I really don't want to…"

"You shouldn't feel afraid to break up with somebody," Keiko said quietly. "It only… leads the other person on longer."

Kouji glanced at the brunette, narrowing his eyes. "Yeah, she's right. If you wanna end it, end it."

"I guess." He fiddled with his phone. "I'm supposed to go to her house today."

"If she even lets you. You kinda ditched her last night," Izumi said, crossing her arms over her chest. She was kinda pissed. It was _her _that Takuya had been dreaming of, right?

"I guess…" He yawned again. "What time is it?"

Keiko looked at the alarm clock. "Five forty."

"Fuck that," Kouji muttered, climbing into the bed. "I'm going back to sleep. We can talk about this later."

Izumi nodded in agreement, grabbing the blanket and bringing it onto the bed with her. "I agree. C'mon Takuya. We'll discuss it when we're not all exhausted."

Takuya almost said no, but instead, he got onto the bed. "Alright."

**

* * *

**"Keiko, I don't know if you're up to eating, but-"

Saburo paused in the doorway, staring at the four teens sleeping on the bed. His eye twitched. "Foursome?"

**

* * *

**"You think you're ready to get back to school?" Izumi asked the brunette, smiling lightly at her.

Keiko nodded. "I think so. I just don't want Tamotsu to think I'm a psycho or anything."

"I doubt he will," Michiko conceded, smiling. "If anything-"

"Fuck you, Orimoto!"

Both girls turned just in time to see Miyu stomp up to them, two friends, a blonde and a raven haired girl, flanking her sides. Wait… Miyu had other friends?

"Excuse me?" Izumi said, raising an eyebrow.

"You heard me! You stay away from my boyfriend! I heard about what happened last weekend! I'll bet you fucked him, just like you did with half the guys in the school!"

"Really? I fucked half the guys in the school? _Really_, I did?"

"Well, after what's his face popped your cherry, you probably used his death as a reason to bang every guy you could find."

"His _name _is Asashi," Michiko snapped.

"Like I care, fatso," Miyu said, waving her hand in the girl's face. "This is between me and the slut over here, got it?"

Izumi clenched her fist. "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but don't think I'm above beating the hell out of you right here."

"Yeah right! You're a coward! I'm sure you'll just find another dick to hide behind, you bitch."

"Miyu, you don't know what you're talking about. Takuya came over because I was upset. He only spent the night because we all fell asleep. Kouji was there too," Keiko said, trying her best to diffuse the situation.

"Alright, _slam, _stop trying to be Mrs. Fixit. I don't blame you for being so upset. I would be if my boyfriend had sex with my best friend, too."

Izumi ran a hand through her hair, seething. "Miyu, you don't know what you're talking about! Do you just pull this out of your ass as you go along?"

Miyu narrowed her eyes, slapping Izumi as hard as she could across the face. "Stay the fuck away from my boyfriend."

Izumi's hand came up to her cheek in a split second of disbelief. She abandoned all sense of reason and punched Miyu as hard as she could square in the nose.

The brunette screeched and fell to the ground, sobbing and holding her nose. Takuya, Kouji, Kouichi, Junpei and Tamotsu had run up just then, only having seen Miyu laying on the ground, blood seeping through her hands.

"Miyu?" Takuya said softly, his brown eyes wide. He looked at Izumi, who had blood on her knuckles. He clenched his teeth and marched up to Izumi, grabbing her by the front of the shirt and pushing her against the wall. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Izumi tried to stutter out an explanation, feeling like she was going to cry. He shook her roughly, her back slamming up against the wall. "Tell me!" He gripped her wrist hard. "What did you do?"

Tamotsu quickly got between the two, pushing Takuya away from the blonde. "Stop it."

"But she-"

"Worry more about your girlfriend," Tamotsu said. "She needs you right now."

Takuya growled and got to one knee. "Miyu, are you okay?"

Miyu was sobbing. "She came at me and just punched me! I didn't even do anything!" She buried her face in Takuya's shirt. "H-How am I su-upposed to go to homecoming with my n-nose like this?"

"It's okay, baby," Takuya murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "It's okay…"

Izumi slid down the wall, her green eyes wide with shock as she watched Takuya and Miyu. _~I almost had him, too…~_

"Izumi," Keiko said softly, kneeling down by the blonde. "Izumi…"

"I ruined my chance," she whispered. "I ruined it…"

She reached her hand out to touch the girl on the shoulder. "Izu-"

"Don't touch me!" she cried, standing up. She took off in a run down the hall.

Keiko stood up, about to go after her. "Izumi!"

Kouji grabbed her arm. "Don't. She needs to be alone right now."

She turned, regarding her raven haired friend with concerned eyes. "You're right…"

Junpei walked over to Michiko, who was just watching everything unfold. "You alright, babe?"

She looked up at him and nodded. "I'm okay. Just… shocked."

"What happened, exactly?"

"Miyu slapped Izumi, and Izumi punched her back… It all happened so fast, I…"

Junpei pressed his hand to Michiko's lower back, leading her away from everything. "And who started it?"

"M-Miyu. She came up to Izumi and called her a slut and everything."

"She say anything mean to you?"

Michiko blinked. "Um, she called me a fatso."

Junpei huffed a laugh. "Guess Izumi punched her for the both of us. Already took care of Takuya, too…"

"What? Took care of Takuya?"

He winced and looked down at his girlfriend. "We were arguing. I told him to keep his girl in check and then he said something rude about you, so I slapped the taste out of his mouth."

Michiko gawked and looked up at him.

His eyebrow twitched. "Don't be mad."

"I'm… not. You really did that for me?" she asked softly.

He nodded, kissing the top of her head. "Nobody fucks with my girl."

**

* * *

**"Izumi, please come out," Keiko called, sitting on the bathroom floor with Michiko. "The school's gonna get closed in a few minutes. You can't stay here forever."

"Yes I can," Izumi replied.

"Izumi, come on. Takuya's not mad anymore," Michiko said. "He's really upset about what happened, and he couldn't stop apologizing about putting his hands on you."

"He like, hates me," she stuttered.

"He doesn't hate you, Izumi," Keiko said softly. When she got no reply, she sighed and crawled under the door.

"Get out, Keiko!"

"No."

The door opened from the inside and the brunette stepped out. Izumi was sitting on the floor, her eyes red from crying.

"He's not mad, and he doesn't hate you," Michiko said. "He would've done the same thing if it'd been you on the ground."

Izumi rubbed at her eyes. "He's gonna believe whatever Miyu says, and then he's never going to talk to me again."

"That's not true," Keiko said. "Come on. Let's go get some dango, okay? My treat."

Izumi sniffled and took the brunette's hand, standing up with her. "Thank you guys."

Michiko smiled brightly and hugged Izumi. "We love you."

The blonde smiled back. "Thanks."

The three walked out of the bathroom, all shocked to see Takuya sitting against the wall. As soon as he saw Izumi, his eyes went wide and he stood up. "Izumi. Can we talk? Please?"

The blonde blinked before nodding. "Okay."

As soon as Keiko and Michiko were around the corner, Takuya walked up to Izumi and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry."

She blinked, her heart pounding. This was all she'd ever wanted.

He buried his face into her neck. "I just… I just saw her on the ground like that, and I got so mad. I couldn't stop. I almost hurt you. God, what's happening to me? I don't even know who I am anymore."

She rubbed his back lightly. "It's going to be alright."

"Izumi…"

Little did they both know, Kouji was watching the entire thing from around the corner, his heart tearing in half.

**

* * *

**

What a bitch I am. :D

Read and review!

And my question this time is…

Out of all the characters in the story, which one would you…

1. Beat up?

2. Sleep with?

3. Have lunch with?

4. Want to see naked?

5. Marry?

6. Live with?

7. Party with?

You can pick the same person for more than one answer. :D

Thanks again!


	24. I See Clearly

Kay guys, here's the next chapter! Yeah, it's late, but I had some serious computer issues and shit, soo… Oh, and I have a new poll up, so go ahead and vote on it, y'all! :D

Uh, would you all hate me if I answered your reviews in a few hours through PMs? I'm sorry, it's like, five in the morning here and… I'm damn tired.

* * *

Warning: Short ass chapter with nothing special at all to it.

* * *

"Alright, give it everything you got!" Takuya yelled, putting his arms out and preparing to strike.

"What the hell?" Izumi said suddenly from the end of the line.

Takuya turned his head, shocked to see Miyu being dragged out by the arm by Barbamon. "Miyu!"

* * *

Kouji woke up next to some girl with red hair. In his bed. On Wednesday…

At 9:30 in the morning.

"Hey," he muttered, shaking her. "Get up. You need to leave."

The girl opened her eyes, blinking at Kouji, then sitting up. The blanket fell off her chest, revealing her full breasts. Kouji grumbled and stood up, ignoring his own nudity (and the way the girl was ogling it) and grabbing a clean pair of boxers out of his drawer.

"Last night was great," the redheaded girl said, smiling slyly at Kouji. "I thought the whole Natsumi rumor was true, but I guess not."

"Hn." He stared at himself in the mirror. His abs had hickeys all over them as did his neck and chest. He sighed and fixed his hair.

"In fact, I just might have to set the rumor straight." She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her breasts squishing into his back. "You were anything but bad."

He muttered something under his breath and walked away from her, going to his closet and pulling his uniform out. She huffed, not seeming to notice or care about her nudity. "Well? Don't you have anything to say?"

He turned and glared at her, pulling his shirt on. "No. I don't."

She looked enraged. "I missed my morning classes to fuck you, you know! Don't you have anything to say to me?"

"I'm sure you'll just be another face in a week."

She growled and grabbed her panties, tugging them on. "I can't believe you! You don't know how to treat a woman-"

"Girl."

"-at _all _do you?" She tugged her shirt on and put on her skirt. "Well, fuck you! You have no reason to be rude to me! You certainly didn't seem to mind my company last night!"

"I was horny."

"Fucker!" she screeched. "Damn it!"

Kouji didn't even flinch when the door slammed behind her.

He rolled his eyes. "Slut."

* * *

"You missed our literature test today," Izumi commented as she leaned against the locker next to Kouji's. "Where were you?"

"I slept in," he muttered.

She tilted her head to the side. "Slept in, huh? Are you sick?"

"Nothing like that," he replied, shutting the door. "Come on. We'll be late to history."

When they walked by the girl he'd been with that same morning, she huffed and stormed past. "Don't let him fuck you, too," she hissed under her breath.

Izumi gawked and looked up at Kouji. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Minamoto!"

"Hn."

"What's going on? Does she have something to do with why you're late?" She frowned. "And that big hickey on your neck?"

He growled. Now what was she going to think? What if she thought he had no more interest in her? "Don't worry about it."

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I didn't do anything. I just want to help."

"Well, you're not."

She stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Why are you acting like this? You've been so mean to me the last couple days."

He turned and looked at her, narrowing his eyes. "No I haven't."

"Yes you have!" she said accusingly. "And you know it! Ever since last week, you've been treating me differently. You've been snippy and rude!" She looked pissed. "And I'm sick of it! You and Takuya think it's okay to treat me like shit, but I don't!"

"I don't treat you like shit."

"Yes you do, Kouji."

He slammed his hand into the wall, blocking her way. "I _don't_ treat you like shit Izumi. Don't you _dare_ say I do. I like you too much to do that to you!"

There was dead silence, then Kouji growled and walked away.

Izumi just stared at him.

* * *

"He hates me, now."

"I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding, Izumi. Maybe he just-"

"Keiko, you didn't hear what he said. He really…" She stared at her hands. "I really screwed up this time."

Keiko tried to think of what to say without revealing Kouji's feelings. If she found out, especially now, Kouji would be heartbroken, and she couldn't let that happen. "You know how Kouji gets. He was probably just…" She bit her lip. What could she say? "He's been really stressed out lately, so…"

"Keiko, you're my best friend. You know that, right?" Izumi asked suddenly, staring at the brunette.

"Um, yeah."

"And you also know I'm on my period, and that it really sucks and when I go home I'm just going to lay around, right?"

"I guess so. Why?"

"I need you to do me a big favor."

Keiko gave a little whine. "Izumi…"

"I need you to spy on Takuya and Kouji. Takuya's spending the night at his house. I need to know if they both still hate me. They both won't answer my phone calls."

The brunette's jaw dropped. "Izumi!"

"Please, Keiko? Please?"

"Fine."

"Yay! You're the best Keiko! You know that, right?"

The brunette sighed. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Kouichi!" Atsuko exclaimed, smiling brightly at her friend… or boy-toy. Whatever he was going to be considered. "I didn't know you were coming today."

He smiled and set a slip of paper on the counter. "I actually got my license in the mail today. I wanted to bring you out to dinner and a movie."

"Really?" She looked ecstatic. "That's so nice of you, Kouichi! Thanks!"

He smiled and looked around. "When do you get out?"

She looked over to an older man sitting at a table alone, reading a newspaper. "I just need to finish serving him. He'll probably be done in a few minutes."

"Alright. I'll just go sit over there, alright?"

She nodded. "Okay."

The man looked up at that moment, waving her over. She took a deep breath and walked to his table, smiling at him. "Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?"

He hummed, staring at her. "No. Just clean up."

She picked the coffee cup off of the table, taking care not to spill what was left in the bottom. A large hand made it's way up her dress, causing her to squeak and drop the glass. It shattered on the floor, causing Kouichi to look up in surprise. He'd been texting, so when he looked up, he was surprised to see the way the old man was grabbing her.

"Please stop," she said softly. "Not in front of him, please…"

"Don't be like that." His other hand skimmed across her chest. "Now, how about you-"

Kouichi grabbed Atsuko away, pushing her behind his body. "What's wrong with you? You think that's even remotely okay?"

The man smirked and stood up, pulling several bills out of his pocket and putting it down on the table. "Thanks Atsuko. I'm sure you'll find the tip to your liking."

Kouichi glared the man down as he left the café. He turned and placed his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Atsuko, are you alright?"

The girl sniffled and nodded, shaking slightly. "I'm fine."

"Has that ever happened before? Do you know his name?"

"H-He's a regular here. It's happened a few times, but he always leaves r-really good tips and…"

He sighed. "You need to report him, Atsuko."

"No!" She looked desperate. "Please don't Kouichi."

There was a moment of silence. "I'll wait in the car, alright?"

She watched as he walked off. Trying not to cry, she began closing the café.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Keiko whined as she held onto the tree branch next to Kouji's bedroom window. She adjusted the earpiece to the speaker she had planted on Kouji's shoulder during the school day. She listened closely.

"And that's when I decided that big toes aren't meant for that kind of thing."

"That's fucking disgusting, Takuya."

"I know, right?"

Keiko sighed. They'd start talking about Izumi eventually, right?

…

Two hours later, she had heard more things about the boys than she ever wanted to know in her life. And still. No Izumi.

She pulled her cellphone out of her back pocket, typing in a text to the raven haired boy. _Izumi thinks you're mad at her_.

It was evil, she knew. But honestly, she didn't want to hear anymore about Miyu's big boobs.

Kouji blinked when his phone went off, opening it and looking at the message. He growled and wrote a reply.

"What's the matter?" Takuya asked.

"Izumi thinks I'm mad at her."

"Why would she think that?"

He sighed. "I got kinda pissed off at her. She accused me of treating her like shit. I got pretty mad, because I do my best to treat her better than any of my friends. I feel bad for her."

Keiko's phone vibrated and she checked the message. "_Damn her."_

"And why's that?"

"Because of you."

Keiko felt chills go up her spine. She was already freezing her ass off, because being the smart ass she was, she forgot her sweatshirt. But now, she felt cold for a whole different reason. They were staring each other down, and she could just feel the competition prickling her skin.

"I really love Izumi," Kouji said. "And when I have to watch her love you and get her heart broken, I just… It's not fair. I'm more capable of making her happy than you, and you know that. I'd love her more than you ever could."

"You sure about that?" Takuya asked.

They stared each other for several moments, before Takuya broke the silence. "Maybe you should move on. What about Keiko? You two seem close enough to start something. And she's pretty hot."

The brunette clinging to the tree branch gawked and almost fell off. Her face turned bright pink. What did Kouji _think_ about her?

"Keiko?" Kouji asked, blanching. "No."

"Why not?"

"She's not my type."

"I thought hot was your type."

"I'm not that shallow."

"You sure?"

He growled. "Keiko's just Keiko. And yeah, she's changed. A lot. But I'll never see her as anything more than that girl I met on the train. She's not Izumi. She's kind of annoying and weak."

"Jeez, is there anything you _do _like about Keiko?"

Keiko just stared. He really hated her that much? But they… were really close now, right?

…Right?

"She listens."

Keiko got out of the tree and back on the ground. She went to the park.

* * *

Dinner was awkward. Atsuko and Kouichi ended up talking to the waitress more than each other. They ended up leaving without even having dessert.

Once the two got back into the car, Kouichi stared at the wheel. "I'm gonna take you home now, Atsuko."

She nodded. "Okay. You know the way."

He slowly turned towards her. "No. Your real home."

She bit her lip. "A-Alright. I'll give you directions."

She led him to the worst part of town, where the houses were peeling and people were stalking the streets. When he got to a stop sign, a woman even came up to his car, knocking on the window and asking quite bluntly if he wanted a blowjob.

He finally got to her house, pulling up in the driveway and sitting there in silence with her.

"Why did you lie to me?" he asked quietly.

She looked down at her twisting hands. "All of your friends are so well off. And your last girlfriend is part of the richest family on the planet. I just… I'm nothing like that. I'm working three jobs after school on top of sports just so I can get through college. If I don't get a scholarship, I don't go. If I don't have enough money for food, I don't eat. If I don't have enough money for a cab to school, I walk, even if it's snowing. I don't want your pity, which is why I didn't tell you. I don't want you to like me just because you felt bad for me."

"That doesn't matter to me," he said. "I wouldn't have cared if you were rich or poor or homeless or whatever. I just can't believe you lied to me for a whole year. I really liked you."

She noticed the way he said liked rather than like. "I know. I'm sorry."

He sighed. "I don't… think we should talk anymore."

She nodded. "I understand. Thank you for dinner Kouichi."

He watched her go into her tiny little house before resting his forehead against the steering wheel. How hadn't he noticed before? She was always working, she was never out at parties or anything, she was always really sketchy whenever he came to pick her up from her "house".

How come he'd never noticed?

* * *

"What're you doing out here without a jacket? It's freezing."

Keiko blinked when she felt something warm drape itself across her shoulders. Kouji took a seat on the swing next to her, and she huffed and pulled at the black North Face fleece on her. "I don't want this."

"Well you're gonna wear it. It's ten o'clock at night in October," he replied, glaring at her. "You'll get sick. And don't you have that big soccer game coming up? And Halloween?"

Her cheeks puffed out childishly but she said nothing. He was right. If she got sick, she wouldn't be able to play her best, and she wouldn't be able to go trick or treating. Still, Kouji was being an ass. He had been lying about everything. But at the same time, he wasn't. He never said she was a good friend, hell, he never even said he liked her. At all.

"What's the matter? You look upset," he muttered.

She blinked and looked up at him. She really liked being his friend. A lot. And she didn't want to lose him. What if she read into things too much? Maybe he was just upset about what Takuya was saying, and he took it out on his description of her.

She swallowed. "I thought Takuya was spending the night at your house."

"He is. He had to run home and grab his cell phone."

Keiko gawked. "Wait, so you're telling me he hasn't had his phone all day?"

"Yeah."

She sighed heavily and slumped forward. "And Izumi was stressing out about nothing."

"What's that?"

"She's been upset because you and Takuya won't answer her phone calls."

"Hn."

"Wait, you had your phone though. Why aren't you answering her?"

He sighed. "I just don't want to."

She frowned. "Why not?"

"I'm sure you already heard about what happened today. I lost my cool there for a minute. And you know that never happens."

"You… really _do _love her," Keiko said softly, her brows furrowed slightly. "Wow."

He sighed. "Yeah, I do. I don't lose it unless… it's something serious. And she's something serious. Way too serious."

"Kouji, the best thing for you to do at this point would be to tell her." She began pumping her legs, the swing slowly starting to sway.

"It's not that simple. She likes Takuya, not me. She'll never see me as anything more than just me."

Keiko winced, having heard the same thing about her.

"To her I'm just Kouji."

Keiko began to reply, but Kouji couldn't hear her. "What did you say?"

Every time she would come closer to the ground, he could hear a word or two, but then she'd go flying back into the air. He growled and grabbed her swing, pulling her to a stop. "I can't hear you, Keiko."

Then, there was the explosion.

* * *

As soon as Tomoki heard it, saw the billowing rainbow smoke coming from downtown, he hung his phone up and stuffed it into his pocket. He would call Chiaki back after. She probably at least felt it, so she must've known that he had some business to attend to.

"Anima!"

He shut his eyes and Fusion evolved, jumping on top of a building. Damn, he had mad hops.

He looked down, clearly able to see Leviamon. "Alright, let's test this fusion thing out. He jumped off the building, pointing the popsicle at the dragon like Digimon. "Kakikaki-kun blast!" The popsicle blasted a blue ice crystal at Leviamon, piercing through it's skin and causing the thing to roar.

Tomoki landed on the ground, glaring the creature down. "Hey, Leviamon," he yelled. "Why don't you pick on something that can actually fight back, you big bully!"

The dragon snarled at him. "In that case, I shouldn't be picking on you at all. You think just because you have your fusion evolution that you can take me down? Well, it'll take a lot more than that! Rostrum!" He snapped his jaws at the teen, who managed to jump out of the way. "And besides that, don't you have people to save?"

Tomoki circled around him. "What do you mean?"

"I knocked down the bridge." Tomoki's eyes widened in horror. "There's a bit of a panic going on up there right now. I'm thinking that you should try and take care of it."

Tomoki looked at Leviamon, then back behind him, where the bridge was. What to do…?

* * *

3000 words only? Yeah, toldja it was short! So for my question this time…

How do you all think I'm going to end this story?

How do you all think I _should_?


	25. Interlude: The Job

So, this isn't exactly the next chapter-chapter, but it's an interlude. Better than nothing, right?

**Review replies to chapter 24:**

**GirlsLikeeBoys:** You really think I'm gonna end it like that? I guess you really don't know me that well, then. :P Okay, you shouldn't hate Izumi just because you think Kouji and Keiko are better together, homegirl. You can't always get yo way. I know. I missed Tamotsu toooooo. He'll be back though. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Moorbles204: **NO MORE CALIBOY? Dx Fufufu, we'll see what happens sooooon. HAHAH. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!

**Jennison Silverye: **Aww, thanks. :D I know! Poor Kouji's just heartbroken. D: Ooh, I wonder who she'll pick though. God, you have no idea how much I love the love triangle between those three. It just… works. Ooh, I like the way you look into things. :D This is actually the last installment of this series. I might do little multi-chapter AUs or something but this'll be the last in this universe. D: Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Immortal Fallen Radiance: **Thanks! I hope my ending doesn't disappoint! D: Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**DephsXylex: **FINALLY, somebody who doesn't want KouKei (**)! It's not SOON, but it's gonna be coming up. D: Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **It's a little glance into the future. (; Because all men are babies, that's why. xD I know. I love Atsuko and Kouichi together. Darn Kouichi for being a butt brain. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **Aww, thank you! :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**

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**

**Warnings: **Gay sex between two guys. If it's not your thing, then skip it! D:

**

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**

Saburo did anything for Akira.

Anything. Literally anything. Whatever his lover would ask for, he would get it.

When Akira would say he was in the mood for sweets, Saburo would drive to the closest bakery and buy his baby everything he knew he liked.

When Saburo woke up and felt Akira's morning wood against him, he would go down on his lover before he was even awake.

When it was Akira's birthday, Saburo bought him extravagant gifts, cars, computers, gold watches.

When Akira had somehow gotten a bad case of the flu after demolishing the sectional record for the 400m during his final junior track meet an hour away (to this day, Saburo is convinced that Akira was sick before, but hadn't wanted to miss the meet), Saburo supported him to the car, drove him home, stopped at a department store and bought blankets, carried the boy into the house and up two flights of stairs (kind of humiliating Akira) and waited on him hand and foot. His adorable, sweet, sexy lover hadn't asked for much, only some applesauce and medicine. Saburo had ended up cuddling his boyfriend all week, only leaving him to go to school, shower and use the bathroom. Of course, Keiji had taken the week off to take care of Akira while Saburo was attending school.

Saburo fucking loved Akira.

Seriously.

He was generous financially, sexually (Akira had a little thing for bondage and receiving spankings, not that Saburo minded, obviously), emotionally. He wanted Akira to be happy. Neither of them cut off their friends or their families (well, Akira didn't exactly have any family). Their lives weren't just their love lives. They didn't spend every waking moment together. If Akira wanted to go hang out with a friend, or vice versa, it happened.

Then again, besides the Takishita family and only their closest friends, nobody else knew they were together. They had decided that high school probably wasn't the best time to come out.

They weren't the stereotypical gay men. They played video games, had burping contests, played serious sports. They were guys, they just liked… guys.

Things had always been amazing between the two.

That was until Akira had come into the living room, where Saburo and Keiji were playing some war game or something, sitting down next to his lover and grinning at him. "Guess what?"

"Hmm?" He leaned over, letting his lover peck him on the cheek.

"I got a job!"

Saburo nearly dropped his remote. "What? Why?"

Akira shrugged. "Why not? Most kids our age have jobs."

"Well, yeah, but why do you need one? If you want money, you know I've got you."

The slightly smaller brunette huffed. "I can take care of myself too."

"But I'd rather take care of you. You don't need a job, 'Kira. What do you want the money for? A new car? How about a nice American one?"

"That's not what I want. I just want a job."

"Why?"

Akira huffed. "Dude."

"Aww, don't get all pissy, babe," Saburo cooed, licking the shell of his ear.

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not being pissy."

"How 'bout this?" Saburo smiled sweetly at him. "Tomorrow after school, we go out and pick you out something nice. Whatever you want. And then I'll take you out to dinner. How's that sound?"

Akira stood up. "I can't. I'm working tomorrow." He stalked out of the room.

Saburo shrugged and looked back to the game. "Men."

Keiji nodded. "You're lucky you're not straight. Women are even worse."

"Why does he need a job anyways?" Saburo asked, blinking owlishly. "I give him everything he wants."

Keiji shrugged. "I don't know. Ayaka still works, even though I've told her she doesn't have to. I'm not saying she belongs at home or anything, but I can support her just fine. I almost got her to quit one time."

"Really?" Saburo looked interested. "And how'd you do that?"

"Sex."

"Ah." He set the remote down. "I think I'll go try it now."

"Go get 'im homie."

**

* * *

**

"Fuck, shit," Akira panted, his face burrowed in the pillow as he bit down on it. "Right there!"

Saburo grinned like a maniac. "You almost there, baby?"

"U-Uh… huh."

Saburo slowed his thrusting, pushing in deep and staying there. Akira turned his head and looked at him, puzzled. "Keep going…"

Saburo rubbed his boyfriend's hipbones. "I'll make a deal with you. You quit your job tomorrow, and I'll give you the best fucking orgasm ever."

Akira just stared at him. "And if I don't?"

"I pull out and we're done."

"Seriously?" Akira pulled away and rolled out of the bed. "Go fuck yourself, Saburo. I can't believe you!"

The connected bathroom door slammed shut. Saburo pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. What was his problem? It was a good deal!

**

* * *

**

Akira came back into the bedroom after the shower had been running for a few minutes. He pulled on his boxers and slid into bed, facing away from Saburo, who was pretending to be asleep.

Why did Akira get so mad like that? Saburo was just making a damn good deal. Akira shouldn't have to work when he could just relax and have more time to work on school and the upcoming track season. It was because he cared, after all.

Saburo turned over and stared at his lover's back. Well, he'd certainly pissed his baby off. Time to make up for it. He slithered closer, spooning up against him and kissing him on the back of the neck. "I'm sorry."

Akira shifted slightly, moving back against his lover and sighing. "It's okay. Just don't let it happen again. You hurt my feelings."

Saburo felt a pang of guilt. Akira sometimes admitted that some things Saburo did hurt him, and whenever Akira said, "You hurt my feelings" or "You're breaking my heart babe" or even worse "I don't understand why you do this", Saburo would feel horrible.

Saburo let his hand run down his lover's hard chest, stomach, then let it slip down his boxers. "I'm sorry I didn't let you come earlier. That was pretty mean, huh?"

Akira nodded and shivered when Saburo gave an upstroke. "Yeah…"

"Didn't you jerk off in the shower?"

"It was a cold shower."

"Mmm, so it's still pent up here?"

Akira gave a broken gasp when Saburo started stroking in the way he liked best. "Yeah. I was gonna come pretty hard earlier."

Saburo turned him over and pushed his legs apart, moving to hover above him. "Wanna bet I can make you come even harder?"

Akira bit his lip and nodded, shyness seeping into his expression.

"Hang on tight, doll."

**

* * *

**

"Why don't you want me to have a job?" Akira asked quietly as he and Saburo laid together under the sheets. He'd finally recovered.

"Hmm?" Saburo looked exhausted. "Well, you don't need it. I'm here for you, babe. I've got you."

Akira dropped his head down to rest on Saburo's chest. "I know." He was silent for a moment. "Hey, Saburo?" He looked up, only to find him asleep. He smiled. "Goodnight."

**

* * *

**

Saburo completely didn't notice when his teacher had called on him. He had been staring at the clock on the wall. Ten more minutes. Then he would drive home with Akira. Then Akira would go away to work. For six hours. Fuck.

"Takishita, pay attention up here," his teacher snapped. "I know you're eager to leave, but this class is extremely important, especially to somebody going into business as your profession."

"Sorry," he said, embarrassed.

"It's fine."

Saburo sighed, trying to pay attention to the lesson.

"You alright man?" Hisashi, one of his good friends, asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." He smiled cheekily.

"You and Akira still coming over tonight?"

"Hmph." Saburo pouted childishly. "Akira has to work."

"Ah. Maybe next time. We're going girl hunting."

"Sweet."

"You know that hot blonde girl? The runner? She's totally into you… God, so many girls are into you _and_ Akira, but you guys just never go for it. Dude."

Saburo shrugged. "I'm not into whores."

"What about your sister's friend, there? Izumi."

"What about her?"

"She's pretty cool? Why don't you go for her?"

"She's my sister's best friend, man. Too weird."

Hisashi sighed. "Well, if you're picky like that, you'll never get laid."

Saburo grinned lecherously when Hisashi turned his attention back to the front of the class. _~Trust me. You have no idea how far from a virgin I am.~_

The thought of sex made him groan internally. Akira was so fucking hot. And he was going to have to wait FOREVER to have sex with him. Akira got home at nine, and then he would still have to do homework and shower and whatnot.

Shit.

**

* * *

**

"Mmm, baby."

"Saburo, stop. I have to do homework."

"What's the point of homework anyway?" He nipped at his boyfriend's ear, a little annoyed when he didn't get any reaction out of it.

"Learning."

"That was a rhetorical question. I'm trying to get you into bed, remember?"

Akira pulled away from Saburo, turning at looking at him with tired eyes. "I'm really tired. I need to finish this homework, but you can fuck me after, okay?"

The way Akira said it completely destroyed his libido. He said it like… like having sex with Saburo was a _chore_ or something. Hell, Saburo was the one who was topping ninety-seven percent of the time, and besides when Akira rode him, he was always the one doing all the work! Did… did Akira not want to have sex with him anymore?

Saburo crinkled his nose and stalked back to the bed.

"Whatever."

"Saburo, don't be mad," Akira murmured softly from the desk, his eyes sad. "I didn't mean it like that. I don't have to do my homework if-"

"Just don't worry about it." Saburo huffily went under the blankets. "And to think I stayed up for you and everything…"

Akira stared at his boyfriend before slowly turning back to his work. Saburo tried to ignore the way his back had hunched.

**

* * *

**Saburo woke up from his light sleep when Akira climbed into bed. He peeked at the alarm clock, which read one in the morning. He was really asleep for that long? And Akira had been working that long?

The slight weight of his boyfriend made him both comfortable and uncomfortable. He really didn't like sleeping without his lover in bed, but at the same time, they were sort of at odds. It was almost awkward.

They slept with their backs turned to each other.

**

* * *

**

On Saturday morning, Saburo woke up alone in bed. He wanted to throw a hissy fit like no other, but he decided to hold it in. For two weeks now, Akira had his job. He was constantly tired, and he was working a _lot _of hours. More than he probably should. They hadn't really spent any time together in those two weeks. The closest they'd ever come to it was when Akira came home late from work and collapsed on the couch while Saburo and Naoki were watching a movie. He'd been awake for about ten minutes, then he'd just drifted off. Saburo ended up half-dragging him upstairs.

And on top of that, they hadn't had sex that entire time. No sex. For two weeks. No handjobs, blowjobs, rimjobs, fingering, fucking NOTHING.

They'd barely even spoken. Hell, if Akira was unable to have sex, he'd still be with his lover, obviously. But they hadn't said much to each other. Their discussions mostly were about homework, dinner and how their days were.

Saburo was really pissed.

So when he woke up alone on Saturday morning, completely forgetting that Akira was working for a minute, he pushed a pillow into his face and screeched.

_Enough_ of this work shit. He was gonna take care of this shit once and for all.

**

* * *

**

Saburo made sure to stay upstairs when Akira came home from work that night. He'd gone back into the bedroom when he heard the shower from their room running. He took a seat on the bed, trying not to look as angry as he was. He really wasn't the angry type. He loved Akira, which was why he needed to talk to him.

When his lover emerged from the shower in a pair of sweats, he wanted to run over and hug and kiss and strangle him, but he just sat and stared. Akira gave him a shy little smile. "Hi Saburo."

"Akira, I think we need to talk about something," he muttered, scratching his chest lightly. He had already showered and gotten ready for bed, clad in some sweats as well.

Akira twisted his hands as he came to sit next to him on the edge of the bed. "Is everything alright?"

Saburo looked at Akira, giving him a look. "You know as well as I do that things haven't been right."

"I just haven't had the time lately," Akira explained. "Cross country and work and handling all this school work is just…" He bit his lip. "It's really hard."

"Akira," Saburo said. "You should really just quit your job."

The teen looked upset. "Why can't you just support me? I've been working my ass off and when I come home, you're _mad_ at me."

"I'm not mad at you!"

"Yes you are. You won't even look at me. And when we sleep, I'm afraid to even get close to you. It's like you don't even want me around anymore. I almost want to stay down the hall until you stop hating me."

"I don't hate you! Don't you see how this job is wearing on you? You're exhausted and you have no time to relax. I feel bad for you. I'm worried."

"You sure don't act like it." He fell back onto the bed.

"Maybe if you were actually acting like yourself, you would see it."

Akira didn't say anything. He turned onto his side, facing away from his boyfriend. "Anything else you want to say?"

"Akira, you don't need this job. It's not doing anything for you except for earning you money you could get from me or Naoki or Keiji or even Keiko. You've even got your own account, so I don't understand this job shit."

His boyfriend said nothing.

Saburo sighed and looked at his back. "Akira. I need you to help me understand."

"You wouldn't get it. You've been rich your entire life." He crawled up the bed and under the blankets, pulling them over his head.

Saburo was puzzled. "But baby, you're rich now too."

Akira looked up at him, sort of appalled. "What did you say?"

Saburo shrugged. "You're rich now. The past shouldn't even exist to you anymore. This is your new life."

Akira tried to work his mouth, no words coming out. He cleared his throat. "I'm trying to save up money to buy my mom a new gravestone. I wanted to use my own money, not your guys'. _My_ money for _my_ mother."

Saburo walked over to the dresser, taking his wallet off. "How much do you need baby?"

"Are you kidding me?" Akira looked really angry/upset/horrified. "Didn't you hear me? I want to do this myself! As much as you think I depend on you for everything, and as much as you think you can baby me, I'm your age too! I can take care of myself! How come when I want to do one thing without your help you freak out? I was gonna fucking quit the job after I got the money! Happy?" He flung the covers off and stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard the walls shook.

**

* * *

**

Saburo and Akira didn't talk to each other for a week.

Saburo was going through a sort of brooding depression while Akira just looked even more tired and sad. He wanted to help him, but he didn't know what to do. His boyfriend pretty much hated him at this point and he'd been right. Saburo hadn't supported him at all. If they switched positions, Akira would've helped him with homework instead of trying to coerce him into bed.

He was really a shitty boyfriend.

Maybe if he hadn't acted like such a spoiled brat, Akira wouldn't feel like he had to work his ass of the way he did.

Saburo had to fix it.

He wanted his baby back.

**

* * *

**

He'd found Akira sitting in the kitchen at midnight, having just gotten off of his shift. He was slowly eating a bowl of instant ramen, his back hunched dejectedly under the lights in the kitchen. It made Saburo's heart feel like it was being pulled at.

He padded up to him, not being seen because of the direction his lover was facing. Slowly, so as not to startle him, he wrapped his arms around him, pressing a soft kiss to his neck.

"I'm sorry, baby."

Akira didn't give much of a response, besides turning his head a little bit. "Saburo?"

"I was wrong. You have every right to get a job if you want to. I shouldn't tell you what to do or what not to do. I should respect your wishes. From now on, I'll be there for whatever you need."

"It doesn't matter now."

"Babe, don't say that."

"No, I got fired," Akira muttered, poking at his ramen with his chopsticks. "I fell asleep on the job and accidentally burned all the food I was cooking."

"Aww." Saburo petted him gently. If Akira were a cat, he'd be purring. "My poor baby."

Akira nodded, his head lolling back against Saburo's shoulder. "Poor me…"

"Hey, Akira? How about we go together tomorrow and get your mom that new gravestone? We can use the money you earned towards it and I'll take care of the rest."

"But they cost a lot."

"And I'm sure your mom would be happy, even if you put just one penny towards it."

Akira's eyes got watery, and he pushed his face into Saburo's shoulder. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. C'mon. Let's go upstairs and get some sleep."

"Carry me."

Saburo huffed. "Demanding, aren't you?"

Akira lifted his arms up. "My strong soccer and baseball player... You can handle it. Remember the time you held me up against the wall for three hours while you fucked me? You didn't even break a sweat."

"I can carry you upstairs easy, precious. Doesn't mean I wanna."

Akira pouted. "Saburo…"

He smiled and picked him up. "You're seventeen years old and you still want to be carried like a little kid?"

"Only if it's you. Or Keiji. Cuz he's really hot."

Saburo pretended to almost drop him. "Whoops. I might drop you if you annoy me. That's a rule when I carry you."

Akira smiled and smooshed his face into his lover's shirt, smelling him. "It won't happen again, sir."

"It better not."

**

* * *

**

"Right there," Akira whispered, his eyes rolling up before sliding shut. He moaned brokenly as Saburo slowly pumped in and out. One of Saburo's hands were holding onto Akira's lower back, pulling him closer and changing the angle. The other was cupping the back of his neck. He was pressing soft kisses to Akira's long expanse of neck.

Akira's arms were both wrapped around Saburo's neck, holding the teens chest to chest. He was moaning softly, his cheeks flushed with pleasure and the slow lovemaking.

"I hate fighting," Saburo breathed into Akira's ear. "Let's never fight again."

Akira panted an agreement, yowling when Saburo pushed in all the way, moving from side to side in such a way that Akira thought he was going to explode. He began thrusting in and out again, still keeping up that languid pace they'd been keeping for an hour now.

"Come," Saburo demanded lowly, and Akira arched up with a few strangled breaths, holding on tightly to his lover. "Do it, babe. Come hard for me."

His breath caught he gave a loud moan, clenching his eyes shut as he pushed his face into Saburo's shoulder. "C-Coming. Uhn!"

Saburo kept pumping in and out, kissing his boyfriend on the lips as he cried out, twitching sporadically as he came untouched.

Saburo followed shortly after, giving a low moan as he unloaded into Akira.

They collapsed together, unable to speak for several minutes, taking the time to catch their breaths.

"I love you Akira," Saburo murmured, kissing him. "And I'm sorry."

"It's okay. And I love you too."

Saburo shifted his lover so he was lying half on top of him. He snuggled the teen, smiling into his neck.

He would do anything for this person.

**

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**

I freaking loved writing this chapter. Saburo and Akira are so cute, it just… AHHH! OKAY. So, the next actual chapter will be coming out soon. Hope you all enjoyed this!

My question(s):

Who (or what) do you like more?:

Tamotsu or Junpei?

Keiko and Izumi as best friends or Takuya and Kouji as best friends?

Michiko or Atsuko?

Kouichi or Tamotsu?

KouKei or Kouzumi?

Keiko or Izumi?

Miyu or Aya?

TakuMiyu or Takumi?

SabuAki or KeijiAyaka?

Tomoki or Junpei?

TamoAsashi or Takouji?

Natsumi or Miyu?

Takumi or KouKei?

Kouji throwing a temper tantrum or Takuya running into a wall?

KouKeiTaku triangle or KouIzuTaku triangle or SabuTamoAki threesome? HEHE.

I know it's a lot! But I couldn't help it! Thank you all for reading! :D


	26. The Return

Okay. It's been over a month since I've updated and that makes me a shithead. I'm SO sorry it's been so long. I had the chapter almost done, and then it decided to delete. Then I had writer's block. Oh, and it doesn't end there. Then, water spilled all over my laptop. :D But it's working, so it's all goooood.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and I sure hope you all weren't thinking I wasn't going to continue this bad bitch anymore. It ain't over till it's over. :D

Anyways, Sydney's got a new story out so if you like Takumi and KouKei in a multichapter high school teenager situation, so please, go check it out. :D

Uh, also, I thought of a couple new songs for characters and/or couples if you'd like to listen and EE-MAH-JIN!:

Jar of Hearts – Christina Perri – Izumi (about Takuya of course. :D)

Breakeven – The Script – KouIzuTaku

Kiss Me – Sixpence None the Richer/Newfound Glory – any couple :D

The Big Bang – Rock Mafia – everybody

OKAY. So without further ado, please enjoy this shitty chapter of Here's to the Night! :D

**Review replies to chapter 25:**

**Jennison Silverye: **Aww, I'm glad! :D I agree. Poor Akira just wanted to do the right thing, and Saburo just wanted his baby back. (: Saburo actually isn't working yet. He's finishing high school first. He has a chance to go to college as well, unlike Naoki and Keiji, who were kinda forced into doing what they had to do. Haha, I loved your answers. (: Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**GIRLSLIKEEBOYSBITCH: **I'm glad ya did. You understand how much time it takes me to reply to reviews, so I'll cut yours short! GOMENASAIIII~!

**Moorbles240: **Oh, Saburo and Akira belong together. :D For all we know, this could be the last chapter! It all depends on how much I get done in each chapter! I'm not sure if I'll still be giving them out in other stories, but we'll see. :D Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

**Empyrea: **I know. So cute. :D Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**LoveCherrySnow: **That's no problem! I'm glad you're still reading though! :D Thank you so much for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **I know, they're my favorite. I love them as a couple. x3 Interesting answers! Thank you for reviewing and I really hope you like this chapter! :D

**EclipseWiccan29: **Me too! I love them! Thank you so much for the review and I hope you like this chapter. :D

**Marina Rose: **Welcome to the wonderful world of Here's to the Night! Thank you so much for the review and I hope you like this chapter. :D

**D4RKWR173R5: **Thanks! I'm not a big fan either. :/ Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**DephsXylex: **I'm not gonna lie either. I'm a Tamotsu fangirl. I like him more than all my created characters. *has a problem* xD Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!

**

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"_Kouji, how old are you?"_

_The raven looked at the woman sitting on the bed, wearing nothing but his button down shirt. She was twenty two years old, long legs, blonde hair, big tits. _

"_I already told you I'm nineteen, Shizuka," he muttered, staring at the hickeys lining his collarbone. "Didn't you hear the first time?"_

_She smiled gently. "I heard you the first time. But I want to know how old you really are."_

_He paused and looked up at her through the mirror. "Nineteen."_

"_Oh come on, would you rather me guess?"_

"_Whatever."_

"_You're sixteen. Seventeen in… June? July?"_

"_July."_

"_I didn't realize that you were that young until you came. So innocent. I remember being sixteen. That's when I lost my virginity." She smiled. "How old were you?"_

"_What the hell kind of question is that?"_

"_Ah, ah, don't get so touchy. I was just asking."_

_Kouji sighed. "Yeah, I know. Sorry."_

"_Fourteen."_

_The woman's jaw dropped. "Fourteen? You were just a baby!"_

"_I know. I was drunk."_

"_Oh my God… I just… fourteen?"_

"_You find that weird or something?"_

"_At the age of fourteen, I wouldn't be ready to lose something as valuable and… and important as my virginity."_

"_Don't act like you have more self-respect than I do. You just had sex with a sixteen year old."_

"_Oh contraire, you were nineteen until you came."_

_He rolled his eyes. "I'm out of here."_

"_Aww, don't get mad Kouji. I'm sorry if I offended you."_

"_Don't worry about it."_

"_Can I ask you something?"_

_He looked at her reflection. "What?"_

"_What makes you so… sad?"_

**

* * *

**

"Kouji! What happened to him? Is he gonna be alright?"

**

* * *

**

_His heart felt like it weighed a ton just then. "What do you mean by that?"_

"_I sense this… this sadness about you. The constant sex with girls and the drinking and smoking and the sneaking out and disrespect to your parents is a defense mechanism. You know what that is, doll?"_

_He nodded slowly, actually not upset by the use of the pet name._

"_Well, what are you hiding from? What keeps you up at night?"_

"_It's nothing."_

_She stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowed. "You have a brother or a sister… that you're not as close to anymore."_

"_Stop it."_

"_Or a friend who's betrayed you."_

"_Shut up."_

"_Or you love somebody who you don't think is capable of loving you back."_

"_Shut the fuck up, Shizuka!" And he broke._

**

* * *

**

"Please be okay, please be okay…"

"Kouji, wake up… come on…"

**

* * *

**

"_I'm so sick of everybody, okay? That's what's wrong with me! My best friend fucking ditched me for some bitch, alright? Every fucking day my brother looks at me like I'm the most disgusting piece of shit on the planet! We don't talk anymore, we don't hang out, it's like we don't know each other! I'm in love with the most beautiful, perfect girl I've ever met, and she understands me! She fucking understands me, but you know what? You wanna know what? She's in love with the person I was closest to since I was eleven! The only friends I have left are Tamotsu and Keiko, and Tamotsu and I don't even like each other that much, and deep down, Keiko doesn't give a shit. That's why I'm fucking sad, alright?"_

_And then he realized that he just opened up more than he ever had to a complete stranger he'd just fucked, one that was six years older than him. Shit._

_Shizuka stared at him, not looking disgusted or horrified or anything. She looked sympathetic. "And how does that make you feel, Kouji?"_

_He stared back, his heart racing and his hands shaking. "What?" he choked._

"_How does that make you feel? You? Not your brother, or your friend, or that girl, or Tamotsu or Keiko. You. How does it make you feel?"_

_So he answered. The only feeling he'd had since he lost his virginity. "Alone."_

_Shizuka slid across the bed, wrapping her arms around him. "At sixteen years old, you shouldn't be going through all of this alone."_

_He closed his eyes and it finally hit him. "I know… I know…"_

_He returned the embrace and let one tear loose._

**

* * *

**

"That's it, Kouji… open those eyes, alright?"

He groaned and peeled his eyes open, seeing Kouichi and Izumi sitting over him. The ground was shaking and his head was throbbing. "What happened?"

"You got hit in the head," Izumi said, helping him sit up. "Are you okay?"

He groaned and held onto his head. "Yeah. Where are we?"

Kouichi bit his lip. "We're in the park a couple miles away from the bridge. You don't remember anything, do you?"

"No…" God his head hurt.

"It was Leviamon, he hit the bridge with something, and it made it start to fall apart…" Izumi looked pale. "We were taking people off the bridge, all digivolved, and then it just collapsed, right in the middle. You got hit in the head with something, and then I took you off the bridge and brought you here."

"It collapsed?" Kouji's eyes widened in shock. "Is everybody alright? Was anybody hurt?"

"We… we weren't able to get everybody off the bridge. We tried, but..." Kouichi let his eyes slip shut. "A few cars went into the water."

Kouji stared at his brother. "How many?"

"I don't know, Kouji."

"Then why didn't you check to make sure? Why didn't you go and try to save them?" Kouji snapped.

"Because I thought you were dead!"

"And you cared more about my life than the lives of those other people? Izumi was fully capable of taking care of me."

"A lot was going through my mind, alright? I wasn't thinking straight. Keiko, Takuya and Junpei went to check the cars out afterwards, anyways…"

"How long after? Huh? A minute? Two? You let those people sit in those cars for that amount of time?"

"I get it, alright?" Kouichi snapped. "I fucking get it!"

"You're a coward," he said darkly. "Just like Duskmon."

Kouichi stood up and stomped away.

"Kouji, what's the matter with you?" Izumi asked. "Why would you say that?"

"Shut up Izumi."

"No, _you_ shut up. I'm so sick of your attitude." She let go of him, allowing him to drop onto the grass. "Enough of the feeling sorry for poor Kouji bullshit. You're in the position you're in right now because of _your_ choices! Nobody told you to fuck every girl in the school! Nobody told you to drink your ass off every weekend! Nobody told you to become an asshole either! So _grow_ _up_!"

She walked across the grass, her fists clenched at her sides. "And by the way, every car that fell into the water was recovered by Keiko, Takuya and Junpei. Nobody was hurt."

Kouji sighed and stared at the grass, uncrossing his legs. His head hurt, his body ached, and now he was pissed.

"You really messed up this time, huh?"

Kouji growled. "Shut up Lobomon."

Lobomon shrugged. "I just think it's weird that while you were knocked out, you had that flashback from a week ago."

"What about it?"

"Well, you told Shizuka about how alone you are, and you cried about it. And then when you have the chance to reconcile with your brother, you pushed him away."

"I don't need your smart ass comments, alright?"

"Don't forget that I'm you as much as you're me."

"Shut up, you don't make any sense."

"Keep pushing people away Kouji. See where you end up."

Lobomon left him alone. He laid in the grass and closed his eyes, wishing he had a concussion so he'd never have to wake up.

**

* * *

**

"Decisions, decisions," Leviamon said, circling around Tomoki. "What is Tomoki gonna do? Save the people on the bridge? Protect the people here?"

Tomoki made up his mind. The bridge was more important at the moment. He turned around.

"Ah, ah, there's one more detail I haven't mentioned yet," Leviamon said.

Tomoki turned slowly. "What?"

Leviamon moved his tail towards Tomoki, hissing something under his breath. Chiaki appeared wrapped around his tail, panicking. "Tomoki!"

"Let her go!" Tomoki yelled. "Now!"

"I'll make a deal with you, Ice. You either take the girl and stay here to fight me, or you go to the bridge and save the people there…"

"Give her to me!"

"Slow down little one. There's one more thing."

"What? Just tell me!"

"Michiko is on the bridge."

Tomoki went pale. "W-What?"

"Make the decision Tomoki," Leviamon said, smirking. "Chiaki or Michiko. Which one means more to you?"

Michiko or Chiaki. Chiaki was here, with all these other people, in the middle of the city. He was sure that by now his friends had gotten to the bridge and were working on evacuating everybody. On top of that, what would happen if he left Leviamon here?

"I'm staying here."

"Wonderful." Leviamon tossed Chiaki to the side. "I was hoping for a good fight with you."

**

* * *

**

"Is everybody off the bridge?" Takuya, merged with BurningGreymon yelled, flying above the bridge.

"Yeah!" Junpei called back, he himself merged together with Beetlemon. "Keiko just finished up on the other side!"

"Where's Kouji, Izumi and Kouichi? Hell, I haven't even seen Tomoki around here either."

"Kouji got hurt and Izumi and Kouichi took him off the bridge. I'm not sure about Tomoki though. I'm sure that if something were to happen, he would come too."

"Oh, Takuya!"

The brunette blinked and was shocked when he saw Miyu running over. "Mi… yu?"

"Takuya, I thought something was going to happen to you! Why would you put yourself in danger out here? The authorities should take care of this! And after I told you not to do this Digimon thing anymore!" She latched onto him, completely ignoring Junpei.

"What are you talking about?" Takuya asked, blinking.

"Don't tell me you don't remember our discussion," Miyu huffed, glaring. "I told you that I don't want you to do this anymore. It's way too dangerous!"

Just before Takuya was about to reply, Izumi, who had merged with Zephyrmon, landed next to them. "Guys, Tomoki's in the city!"

Miyu sneered at the blonde turned lavenderette and latched back onto Takuya's arm. "I'm sure you and Junpei can take care of it. Takuya's going to fly me back home."

Izumi narrowed her eyes. "Look, I get it, Miyu. I don't like you either. But we need Takuya-"

"You mean _you _need Takuya."

Izumi gritted her teeth. "Miyu, don't test me right now. Our friend needs us."

"No, I'll take her back home," Takuya murmured. "We have some talking to do."

Izumi looked like a wet cat. "Fine. We don't need your help anyway." She leapt off the bridge and flew towards the city.

Junpei shook his head. "You need to get your priorities straight, man."

Takuya sighed as he watched the two fly away. Miyu tightened her grip on them.

**

* * *

**

"Blue Hawaii Death!" Freezing water rushed out of Tomoki's hands, hitting one of Leviamon's claws and freezing him to the ground. He jumped out of the way of one of his fire attacks and smashed him over the head with his weapon… the popsicle…

Right…

Just as he was about to hit him with another attack, the lizard disappeared. Tomoki growled and punched the ground. "Damn it."

"Tomoki!" Izumi ran over to him. "Where'd Leviamon go?"

"He left," the penguin-fused teen said, sighing. "It was out of nowhere too. Coward."

"He caused a whole lot of damage… Are you okay?"

Tomoki gave a nod. "I'm good. Tired out, but good."

"I'm glad." She patted him on the back. "That you're not hurt."

He smiled. "Thank you, Izumi."

**

* * *

**

"Am I still coming over for dinner?" Miyu asked Takuya, leaning against the locker next to his.

"I had a change in plans, sorry," he murmured. "Kouji called me. Weird huh?"

"Hmph, sure is."

"He was really upset. He needs me, and I'm going to be there for him. But I promise we'll do dinner tomorrow, alright?"

Miyu crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "Fine. I see how it is. Your friends mean more than me now?"

_~They always did.~ _"Don't be mad. If you were in my position-"

"I would pick you." Miyu flipped her hair. "And you know it."

"Miyu, I-"

"Never mind me. Have fun." She turned and walked away.

Takuya sighed and went back to going through his locker.

"Hey, I was just looking for you…"

He looked up to see Izumi standing there, looking sort of sheepish. "Hey Izumi." He stood back up to his full height, shutting his locker. "What's up?"

She bit her lip and moved forward, wrapping her arms around him and pushing her face into his chest. "I miss you."

"I'm right here."

She shook her head. "I miss the way we were back when we were 11. When there were no girlfriends or boyfriends or fights or drama. Well, high school drama."

He smiled slightly. "Kouji and I got into it a few times. Remember?"

She stepped back, her face red. "I just thought you should know… And I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

At those words, her eyes brightened. "Walk me to class?"

"You know it."

**

* * *

**

I know. WTF, I disappear for a month and a half and the chapter's that short? I'm sorry. The next one will be at least 3500 words though. Sorry for the shit chapter. D:

Here's my question!:

If you could live any character's life (ANY. That means from Takuya to Tamotsu to Akira to Aya!), whose would it be and why?


	27. Love Lives On

Okay guys, so this chapter is a wittle stwange. **Cuz I didn't exactly write it… Morgan (GirlsLikeeBoys) did**. It's a long story, but basically, I can't write because of my God awful writer's block. Seriously, I'm really sorry about this, but I think Morgan's chapter is a lot better than what I was attempting. So all the praise should go to _**HER**_, not me!

BUTTT, I did write the review replies! :D

*Is shot*

**Review replies to chapter 26:**

**DephsXylex: **Thank you! :D I like that too. I know. Tamotsu is da man. I wouldn't mind being his sweet ass for a day. ;) Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Marina Rose: **I know, right? And she really does. :D Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

**Immortal Fallen Radiance: **And you'll be wondering again… So sorry about that. Dx Ooh, Lopmon? Interesting. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: GIRLSLIKEEBOYS IS COMING TO TOWN! AND SHE IS WEARING AN ORANGE CROWN! **Ahem. Thank you so fucking much for writing this chapter for me. I really owe you, babe. Blowjob? :D

**Jennison Silverye: **"Let's just hope the next chapter will be much faster" …SORRY! D: I really felt like I needed to let everybody know how sad wittle Kouji was. D: He's a dumbass, seriously. He doesn't see what he has. Thanks so much for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **Thanks! I hope so too! Thanks a bunch for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Moorbles240: **I know, I'm in eleventh grade too! I won't give up till this big old bastard is finished. My writer's block has faded a little, so hopefully I'll be able to crank more chapters out. EMILY? What happened to your other girlfriend, huh? Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial Writer: **DAMNIT! I shoulda done a Valentines Day chapter. GOD. And you're right. Kouji does need help. Thanks so much for your review and I really hope you like this chapter. :D

**D4RKWR173R5: **Ooh, interesting. :D Thanks so much for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**

* * *

**

"Hey guys, want to hit the gym after school?"

Takuya and Kouji looked up to see Tamotsu standing in front of Takuya's locker.

"Gym?" Kouji echoed, scratching his head.

"Yes, gym. We need to prepare for lacrosse in the spring! And Takuya, staying in shape for the soccer off season is always a good idea."

Kouji shrugged. "I guess I'm in." They turned to Takuya.

"Well, I have plans with Miyu…"

"Oh no, don't start that junk again. Come on Takuya, don't let her push you around," Said the blonde.

"Yeah. Grow a pair," Kouji huffed.

Takuya rocked back and forth on his heels awkwardly. Finally he complied with his friend's request.

"Awesome! Junpei is coming too. Meet you guys after school?"

Takuya and Kouji nodded , then headed off to class.

* * *

"Look at that hot piece of ass."

Keiko was practically drooling on her lunch tray as she watched one of the basketball players walk by.

"Wow, checking out other guys? Takishita Keiko is bouncing back!" Izumi said with a smile.

"Oh, shut up. I need to get laid. Like now."

"Keiko!" Izumi exclaimed, followed by a laugh. Keiko sat up straight and giggled.

"I'm only kidding. But, I think I'm getting over Tamotsu." She smiled sheepishly at the blonde.

Izumi through her arms around her friend, squishing the slightly smaller girl into her chest. "Aww, Keiko I knew you'd get over him! Who needs boys anyway? I say we have a girl's night out. What do you say?"

Keiko tapped her chin, glancing once again at another boy's butt, then winking at Izumi.

"I'd say I'm in, partner."

* * *

"Wow, I feel great! It's been a while since I got a good work out in," Takuya said to Junpei after just coming back from running on the treadmill. Junpei was doing free weights, lifting heavier than Takuya could ever manage.

"Where are Tamotsu and Kouji?" Takuya asked.

"Oh, funny story about that…" Junpei puffed, pointing his chin toward the other side of the room. Takuya looked over to see Tamotsu and Kouji side by side doing pushups, swiftly bobbing up and down as if they were in a race.

"Are they…?"

"Yes."

"Figures." Takuya walked over to Tamotsu and Kouji, who both looked like they were about to collapse.

"Hey guys. Whatcha' doin'?" he smirked.

"Must….beat…him…in…pushups…" The two huffed simultaneously.

"Go fuck yourselves."

* * *

Tomoki sneakily browsed the adult magazine section of the store, checking every once in a while over his shoulder to make sure no one was around. He smirked when he saw one with red heads on the front, picking it off the shelf and leafing through it. His cheeks grew bright pink, showing his arousal at the contents of the magazine, and right when he was about to put it back, he heard a familiar voice.

"Tomoki?"

Scared shitless, Tomoki slowly turned his neck, afraid of who he might find.

"Oh, uh, hey Kouichi."

Kouichi stood confused, holding a basket of groceries.

"Are you…?"

"It's not what it looks like!" Tomoki cried.

Kouichi smiled sincerely. "Don't worry, Tomoki. I won't tell anyone. It's nothing to be ashamed of, really."

Tomoki blinked, mortified. Had he seriously been caught in the act by one of his "friends"? Kouichi put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"You're really not a little kid anymore, are you?"

Something sparked inside of the boy. Recognition? Did he really just get recognized as something more as a mere child?

"I…uh…"

"I know the others sometimes underestimate you, but honestly, I think you're more mature than we were at that age. Especially Takuya and Kouji." Takuya laughed heartily. Tomoki stared for a moment, then finally brought himself to smile.

"Thanks, Kouichi. It means a lot."

* * *

"Guys, come on. Why do you have to always do this?" Junpei moaned, his palm pressed to his forehead. Kouji and Tamotsu were standing in the lobby of the gym, chugging bottle after bottle of water that they had purchased from the vending machine.

"Yeah, isn't this kind of dangerous? You guys have already drank like, five bottles each," Takuya added.

"I'm on six, bastard!" Kouji grunted, water spilling from his mouth.

"I'm on six and a half!" Tamotsu coughed. People were starting to congregate around the boys, interested in the competition.

"Guys, come on. Find something else to do. People are staring," Said Junpei, glancing around.

"How about you all sleep over at my house? There we can settle this competition once and for all," Takuya suggested.

Before either Kouji or Tamotsu could answer, they both ran to the trash can, vomiting their stupidity.

* * *

Keiko watched as Izumi brushed her long blonde hair in front of the armoire. It was so glossy and perfect. The brunette subconsciously ran her fingers through her own hair as she gazed at her friend.

"Izumi?"

The blonde looked over her shoulder at Keiko, "Yeah?"

"Do you think I'm…plain?"

The green eyed girl laughed, "Is that supposed to be some kind of joke? Of course you're not plain. You're beautiful!"

Keiko shrugged, "I don't really have a problem with the way I look, but sometimes I wonder if I should change it up, you know?"

Izumi raised her eyebrow, "Are you implying that you want a makeover?"

"A makeover?"

"Yes, dumbass. A makeover."

Keiko smiled sheepishly, "Well, what is there to make over?"

Izumi walked over to Keiko's dresser and started rummaging through her cosmetics, "Honey, when I'm through, you'll be a whole new you."

* * *

"Kouichi should be here in a few minutes with the pizza," Kouji noted as the four boys sat in Takuya's room.

The other three nodded without a word. Finally after a moment, Takuya spoke up, "Hey guys? Do you think Kouichi is a virgin?"

Junpei immediately started coughing on the grape soda he was drinking.

"Why the hell would you ask such a thing, Takuya?" Tamotsu asked.

"I dunno. Don't tell me you guys don't wonder about other peoples' sex lives sometimes."

"Actually, I don't. Especially not my brother's, you pervert," Kouji muttered.

"Doesn't he have a thing with that Atsuko chick?" Junpei asked after his wheezing had finally ceased.

"He did, but I don't know if he still does. I think something happened," Kouji said with a shrug.

"She is _so_ hot," Takuya cooed, not noticing he had said that out loud.

Right when Kouji was about to say something, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Kouichi opened the door, pizza box in hand, "Hey guys, I hope you don't mind, but I brought someone along."

Before anyone could ask who, Tomoki walked in behind Kouichi, looking kind of uncomfortable. "Hey guys."

"Hey Tomoki!" Exclaimed Takuya with a genuine smile.

"I ran into him at the store. He's going to hang with us tonight."

Tomoki, almost as tall as Kouichi, walked over and took a seat next to Takuya on the bed.

"Alright, now that we are all here, it's time for the ultimate Minamoto vs. Tanaka showdown: Winner take all!" Takuya announced.

Tamotsu and Kouji shot each other menacing looks.

"You're going down, Tanaka. I'll show you who the real man is."

"Says the guy with the pony tail."

"Touché."

* * *

"You know, I never felt like we really got off on the right foot," said Aya, taking a seat next to Ayaka on the couch. Keiji and Naoki had gone out to the bar for the evening, while Saburo, Akira, Izumi, and Keiko were all doing their own thing upstairs. Ayaka looked up from her book at the petite woman next to her.

"Oh, um, you're right! I'm sorry for any tension in the past…" She wasn't sure what exactly she should say to someone she disliked so much.

"Why don't you tell me a little about you and Keiji? Naoki told me you two have been in love for a long time," Aya cooed, her eyes glossy and her cheeks pink.

Ayaka laughed, "Well, _I've_ been in love with him for a long time. I'm not sure how long he's felt the same."

Aya, taking the comment seriously, put her hand on Ayaka's, "Well, honey, not everyone is meant to be. At least you have him for the time being."

Ayaka twitched. _'Why must every other thing that comes out of her mouth be insulting? She is such a bitch. Look at her. Weird doe eyes… crooked nose…and cock sucking lips.'_

"Hun, you're not going to cry are you?" Aya whispered, sounding truly sincere.

Ayaka fought to maintain her composure, "No, no. Keiji and I have a wonderful relationship. He's my best friend, along with my husband."

Aya shook her head and made a "tsk" noise, "Best friends? Your poor sex life. How do you release?"

Ayaka narrowed her eyes, "What are you getting at?"

"Well people with a 'best friend' relationship don't usually have sex."

"Aya, we're married."

"Sure, sure," Aya rolled her eyes.

_'Is she trying to say her relationship is better than mine? Or is she just dumber than a log?'_

"Naoki and I have wonderful sex. I can give you some tips if you want to spice it up a little bit in the bed room."

Ayaka's mind fled to all the wild and crazy sex she and Keiji had in the past. In the car, in the bathroom, and even that time in the ski resort hot tub…

"Aww, you're blushing! The key to a good relationship is good sex. Don't be shy with your body, Ayaka! Naoki said Keiji _loves_ bigger girls."

Ayaka clenched her fists and hissed through gritted teeth, "What?"

"Don't be ashamed. All sizes are beautiful."

"Aya, I wear a size four."

"Exactly!"

* * *

"What are the stats, Junpei?" Tamotsu grunted, trying to catch his breath. He and Kouji had just raced around the block, and he had been victorious.

"It's tied. Four to four, he looked down at his sheet that read:

_Thumb wrestling-Kouji_

_Egg balancing- Kouji_

_Smelling Takuya's armpits longest- Tamotsu_

_Getting the most compliments from girls on chat roulette- Tamotsu_

_Getting the most compliments from boys on chat roulette- Kouji_

_Burping contest- Tamotsu_

_Doing the worm the longest- Kouji_

_Race around the block- Tamotsu_

"Okay, what's the tie breaker?" Kouji asked. The group pondered for a moment.

"I know what we should do," Takuya announced after a minute.

"What?" the others said in unison.

Takuya grabbed his laptop and brought up a video.

"Whoever can watch this longest wins."

Curious to see what it was, Kouji, Tamotsu, and the other three boys crowded around the laptop. Takuya staged himself behind the laptop screen, so he could not see the video.

As soon as the video started, Kouichi fell off the bed and Junpei simply got up and walked away looking disgusted.

"What the hell is this Takuya?" Kouji muttered, his eyes glued to the screen.

"It's called 'Glass in the Ass'." Takuya was in a fit of laughter.

Tamotsu slapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide. He had heard about videos like this, but never actually seen one.

"Oh no, it's cracking!' Kouji cried, eyes still on the screen.

"Shit, he's bleeding!" Tamotsu whimpered.

"Oh, God."

"How does he even fit that up there?" Kouji asked.

Tamotsu's eyes were watering, "I can't do this anymore."

"Me neither. Want to call it a truce for today?"

Tamotsu frantically held out his hand, and Kouji shook it. They both dove off the bed simultaneously, making gagging noises in reaction to the video.

"Guess we're even then," Kouji noted.

"Um guys…?" Kouichi's voice was almost filled with fear. Kouji and Tamotsu to see the raven headed boy pointing to Tomoki.

He was still watching the video. Blank stare, not saying a word.

"No fucking way," Kouji groaned. Takuya was on the floor now, not able to contain his laughter.

"Tomoki… You're not phased at all by this?" Tamotsu asked.

"Nope. I've seen much worse," Tomoki said in a monotone voice, eyes not leaving the screen.

Tamotsu and Kouji exchanged baffled glances. Junpei smirked.

"Guess we have a new winner then."

* * *

"Oops."

"Oops?"

"Yeah…"

"Izumi?

"Mhm?"

"What did you do to my hair?"

"Ehehe… Uh, I kind of cut more off than I thought."

Keiko ripped the hand held mirror from the dresser and peered into it. Her hair was gone. Literally, chin length. It would have looked good, had it not been uneven.

"Izumi?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to kill you."

The blonde screeched as Keiko grabbed ahold of the scissors and started chasing her around. Soon after, Ayaka burst into the room.

"Keiko? Izumi? Is everything okay? I heard a—" Ayaka's jaw dropped when she saw Keiko and the lack of hair on her head.

"Haircut?" Ayaka stammered, not sure how to react.

"Ayaka, help!" Keiko moaned, tears forming in her eyes.

"It's my fault. It was an accident!" Izumi exclaimed.

"It's okay. You guys are lucky I have a couple years of cosmetology school under my belt. Keiko, when I'm done with you, you're going to be the hottest girl in school."

"Guh."

* * *

"That's impossible."

"No fucking way."

The boys were amazed as Tomoki's character maneuvered around the others, shooting the enemies at just the right time. He was on one of the hardest levels of the game, and none of the others have ever gotten as far.

"Tomoki, how did you get so good?" Junpei asked, amazed.

"Practice."

"Well, God, we've all had practice too but you're fucking psycho at this game," stated Takuya.

"It's because I'm badass."

The older boys exchanged looks of utter amazement. They sure as hell had underestimated Tomoki.

* * *

"Ta-da!"

Ayaka handed Keiko a mirror so the girl could gaze upon the masterpiece.

"Wow…Ayaka, it's great! I love it!" Keiko beamed at her reflection. Her hair was about the same length as when Izumi cut it, but evened out. Ayaka had also cut her bangs so they were swept to the side, framing her pretty face.

"It's a nice change. What do you think, Izumi?" Ayaka directed her attention to the blonde.

"I think it's gorgeous! You look really good with short hair, Keiko."

Keiko happily ran her fingers through her short hair. It was so light and smooth. Ayaka was right. It was a nice change.

* * *

"Kouichi?"

The older twin looked over at his brother that was sitting shotgun in his car.

"Yeah?"

"What happened with you and Atsuko?"

Kouichi was lost for words. He wasn't used to Kouji asking such questions.

"It just didn't work out."

"Why?"

There was a pause. Kouichi shrugged, his eyes locked on the road.

"She lied to me."

Kouji's eyes widened, "About what?"

"Everything. Where she lives, what she's been doing in all of her spare time, and overall who she is."

Kouji narrowed his eyes. "She's poor isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"Well, why would that stop you from liking her?"

Kouichi took his eyes away from the road to stare at his brother. How could he even say such a thing?

"That's not the reason. It's the fact that she lied about it. She had me drop her off at some other house every time I gave her a ride. Apparently she's working three jobs on top of all her school work and—"

"I still don't get it, Kouichi. Why does that stuff matter?"

Kouichi blinked. Was he really mad at the fact she lied? Or was he just afraid that the person he came to like really wasn't her?

"She lied, Kouji."

"We all lie. And it's because she was embarrassed of her situation. She really likes you, Kouichi, and she probably needs someone like you right now."

Kouichi smiled at his brother, "Where is all this coming from?"

Kouji smirked, "I dunno. We're brothers. I should give you advice once in a while, right?"

Kouichi turned his attention back to the road, a smile still on his face.

"Right."

* * *

"I like your hair."

Keiko looked up from her homework to see Kouji studying her.

"Really? Thanks, Kouji."

"Hn." He looked back down at his books. Keiko ran a hand over her hair, debating over if he had been serious or not.

"Why don't you ever cut yours?" she asked after a moment.

Kouji sat up, and ran a hand through his long hair, "Good question."

"I mean, it's been the same length since I've known you. It's not bad or anything, but don't you ever want a change?"

"Well, I don't know how I feel about change," Kouji mumbled.

Keiko reached over and tucked Kouji's ponytail into the back of his shirt, so it appeared as if his hair were short.

"Not half bad. And surprisingly, you still look like you. Not too Kouichi-ish."

Kouji smiled at the girl's remark. Maybe it was time for a change?

"We'll see," he said removing the hair from the inside of his shirt. There was a pause, as he tapped his nose with the eraser of his pencil.

"I really do like your hair, though," he said, reverting to the original topic.

Keiko blushed, glancing down at the math problem.

"Thanks, Kouji."

* * *

Read and review Morgan's chapter! I lurved it. Brought me back to the lighter days of this story. :D

And teh question - If you could see any AU of this story, what would it be? (for example, a story where they're all like... spies or whatever. I dunno. Lemme know y'all.)


	28. Waking Up Next To You Never Felt So Good

Hello beautifuls! :D Don't end my life, or else you will get no more chapters from me! Anywho, I hoped y'all liked GirlsLikeeBoys' last chapter. It was lovely, eh? It's five in the morning here. Be grateful that I fucking love you all so much to have spend the last four hours busting my ass to finish this beast. GirlsLikeeBoys almost killed me for the lateness. She keeps her pimp hand strong. I'm stoned, by the way. Not really.

**Review replies to chapter 27 (written by GirlsLikeeBoys herself):**

Empyrea: Yay I get a batch of cookies! #epicwin! I'm so glad you liked the chapter! I tried my best to sound somewhat like good ol' Natalie. I like the idea of the group getting closer too. And obviously, Tomoki is bomb.

Jennison Silvereye: I loved your super fantastic long review :D It made me smile! Thanks so much for all the praise! Of course I had to being back the good old Kouji v Tamotsu challenges, and a Koukei moment I hope to see more of Tomoki and his maturity soon! Hopefully Natalie can make it happen ;)

Marina Rose: Thanks for the compliment on my writing style! You're precious I tried to stay somewhat like Natalie, but I know I can't really mimic her style that well xD Enjoy this nex chapter!

DephsXylex: Haha, that'd be funny if the haircut caused Tamotsu to insanely want Keiko again. I miss them as a couple :( But I still want her with Kouji. That just me xD Anyway, yeah everyone seems to like the Tomoki-ness in this chapter! I did too. I missed the little guy. Well actually, he's a big guy now :D

Moorbles240: Ohhaiii there you awesome little thing you! This is going to sound weird, but could you maybe change your name back to Caliboy? You're like, my favorite reviewer of Natalie's, and we always refer to you as caliboy even though you changed your name! Im glad you liked the chapter, but theres no way I could ever finish this story for her! She's too genius xD Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

ShiningHeart of ThunderClan: You know, I so agree. Izumi and Takuya SHOULD get together so Keiko and Kouji can be together. Seriously, Natalie just needs to make KouKei happen, because it is my favorite couple hands down. Maybe if we bitch and moan and complain enough she'll put them together :D

* * *

The house party was a bad idea. Kouji had seen this scenario in so many teen movies, seen the horrible things that happened, but he thought that things would go perfectly.

And now, as he searched frantically through his packed and smoky house for one of his friends, he wanted to punch himself in the nuts.

* * *

"Our parents are going out of town for the weekend," Kouji said off-handedly to Takuya during lunch. "I'm thinking about having a party. Tonight."

Takuya grinned. "No way."

"Hn." Kouji watched Izumi talk animatedly to Tamotsu from the corner of his eye. "And I already have alcohol."

The grin grew. "How much do you have?"

"Enough for me, Keiko, Izumi and Michiko."

The grin fell. "What the hell? You picked those three over me?"

Kouji shrugged. "I'm a gentleman."

"Asshole. Now I need to bring my own."

"No shit."

The brunette sighed. "Can I give you money? Unlike you, I don't have a million sources. Both of mine are out of town. Besides Junpei, but he's only good for beer..."

"Give me ten and you've got a bottle."

"I love you," Takuya announced, grinning at his best friend.

"Tell me something I don't know."

* * *

It had been two weeks since he'd seen her, and he thought he was going to go crazy. She hadn't shown up to school and he had no idea what was going on. So he worked up to courage to go to the café and see her himself. He missed Atsuko. A lot.

When he got there, Keiko was standing behind the counter. Her eyes brightened and she gave him a giant smile. "Kouichi! The most beautiful face I've seen all day!

He smiled. "I was actually looking for somebody else…"

The brunette deflated. "You hurt me, Kouichi."

He laughed awkwardly. "Have you seen Atsuko?"

"Atsuko?" She blinked.

"Yeah… I need to talk to her."

"Kouichi, she's gone. Didn't you know? She left a couple weeks ago. Apparently there was some sort of child abuse case and-"

"What?" he yelled.

She jumped, surprised. Kouichi never yelled.

The short haired twin took a deep breath and ran a hand over his eyes. "I'm sorry Keiko. You were saying?"

"She… a lot was going on over there. She went to live with her aunt and uncle."

"Where do they live? I need to talk to her. I need to see her. I can drive there and apologize."

Keiko struggled for a moment. "Kouichi, they live in the United States."

He was silent for several seconds.

"The United States?"

She nodded. "They live on an estate over there. She showed me a picture before she left. It's huge… They didn't know about the abuse." She looked up at Kouichi. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "She never had a phone. And her address…"

"I have it!" Keiko exclaimed, smiling brightly. "We're going to write each other. I can give it to you if you want."

"Could you do that for me?"

"Of course. It's at my house. I'm leaving in a few minutes. If you don't mind waiting…"

"Not at all."

* * *

"Oh, hey Izumi," Takuya said happily, grinning at the blonde girl. "I forgot you work here."

She shrugged, smiling lightly. "A job's a job."

Takuya leaned forward on the counter. "I bet so many nerdy guys ogle you."

Her face went beet red. "S-Shut up! What was it you wanted anyway?"

"Browsing. I just got paid, so I'm looking around for a new game."

"Well, the pre-school educational games are on the rack over there on the right, and right above that is Nintendogs, so-"

"Ooh, a little nasty streak."

She stuck her tongue out. "Just doin my job."

He hummed. "You going to Kouji's party?"

"Of course. You?"

"Yeah. The bastard's making me pay for alcohol."

"We all have to, Takuya."

"No, you, Keiko and Michiko don't. He bought some for you guys."

Her eyes lit up. "Awww! He's such a sweetie."

"No he's not."

She placed her elbow on the counter, resting her chin on her hand. "The thing about Kouji is he's so… comforting. He cares so much more than he lets on."

"Haha, okay babe, you've been spending too much time here."

"Don't tell me you don't think Kouji's a good guy. You're his best friend!"

"It's not like you feel comfortable when I come up to you and ramble on about Keiko."

"Keiko… so adorable." Izumi went starry eyed. "I just want to stuff her between my boobs and never let her out, you know?"

"…No. I don't know."

"You would understand if you spent more time with her. She's so-" The bell that chimes when the door opens rang. "Welcome to GameStop!"

A geeky looking kid stopped dead in his tracks, staring and the blonde. "U-Uh…" He turned and sprinted out.

"Heh. Looks like GameStop's losing business because of your… assets."

"Screw you Takuya."

* * *

"It's around here somewhere," Keiko murmured, looking on her desk. "Hmm, ah ha!" She pulled a slip of paper off, smiling brightly. "Here it is!" She handed it to Kouichi.

He smiled slightly. "Thank you Keiko. This really means a lot to me."

"No problem. Now you can write her a letter."

He nodded. "Yeah… I can."

"Hey, don't think about it too hard. Write it whenever you're ready. And I know she'll write you back."

"Right… Thanks, Keiko. I mean it."

She hugged him. "I really love you, Kouichi."

He smiled into her hair. "You too, Keiko."

She backed up and looked at him. "You look tired."

His smile fell. "What?"

"You just look… really, really tired."

"Look, you can't tell anybody, okay?"

"Of course. Your secret's safe with me."

He took a deep breath. "I've been having nightmares… Sometimes, I find that I'm afraid to go to sleep at night. So I don't."

"What are they about?" she asked.

He stared at her. "Duskmon.

* * *

"Beer run! Beer run!" Takuya chanted happily, arms full of cans. "This is the highlight of my day."

"The beer run is?" Junpei asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh huh. Is Michiko gonna be there tonight?"

"I'm not sure. She's gonna be with Izumi."

"Izumi's gonna be there."

"Then I guess she will be."

"Junpei, have you and Michiko fucked yet?"

The larger brunette coughed and stared at his friend. "What was that, Takuya?"

"Have you had sex with her? It's been kind of a long time, and I feel like it'd be a little crazy if you haven't. Especially with your reputation. Miyu says her friends talk about your huge dick-"

"I get it Takuya. And yeah, we have."

"Really?" he shrieked, eyes wide. "You have? Was she good? Was it good in general? She probably has the perfect form and moans like-"

"I don't think she liked it."

Takuya blinked, noticing the change in Junpei's tone. "What do you mean?"

"She didn't like it. The sex."

Takuya was silent. "She didn't… come?"

"She cried." Junpei clenched the steering wheel. "And she was bleeding."

"What did you do?"

"I stopped. I had to. I couldn't keep going."

The brunette offered a smile. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad buddy. It'll be better next time."

"Was Miyu a virgin when you two went at it?"

Takuya laughed. "I don't know. I don't even know how I lost my virginity to her. I came a little late, remember?"

"Oh, right," Junpei murmured, clearing his throat. "Sorry about that."

Takuya smiled. "Don't be."

"Here we are." Junpei pulled up in front of the brunette's house. "You want me to pick you up later tonight?"

"Nah, I've already got a ride. I'll see you, alright?

"Later."

* * *

"Bye dad." Kouji waved. "Bye mom. Have fun on your trip." He shut the door and sighed.

"Are you sure this party thing is such a good idea?" Kouichi asked, coming around the corner.

The raven jumped. "Shit Kouichi, I didn't even hear you. Where'd you come from?"

The older of the two shrugged. "I just have a bad feeling something's going to happen. Considering the fact that we had a Demon Lord attack not too long ago. It always happens when we're not expecting it, or we're separated. I'm just not getting a very good vibe about this…"

Kouji gave his brother a sincere smile. "Everything's going to be fine, Kouichi. At worst, we'll just have to leave the party to fight."

"I guess you're right." Kouichi scratched the back of his neck absently.

"Hey, are you okay? You've been acting really weird."

"I-It's nothing."

Kouji offered his twin a smile. "Hey… if you're shy about this whole party thing, don't be. There'll be plenty of girls, just be confident."

"Right…" Kouichi's eye twitched. As smart as Kouji was, sometimes he could be completely dense.

* * *

"I had sex with Junpei," Michiko blurted out suddenly.

Izumi spat her fish out in the middle of the restaurant. "WHAT?"

"Shh!" Michiko covered the girl's mouth. "I just couldn't hold it in any longer!" she whispered. "I had to tell somebody."

"When did this happen?" Izumi asked excitedly, eyes lighting up. "Give me the details!"

Michiko sighed. "Okay. Well, we were in my room and things just started getting heated I guess. We just kept going and I never said stop and I guess it just happened."

"How was it?" Izumi asked, nearly drooling.

The auburn haired girl bit her lip and shook her head. "Not so good…"

"Why not?"

"It hurt a lot. And afterward it was just so awkward and… I guess that's just not how I envisioned my first time. I mean, yours and Keiko's were so perfect, and my older sister's was amazing and I just expected so much more…"

The blonde leaned across the table and pulled Michiko into a hug. "It's okay. Everybody has a different experience. I'm sure it'll be great next time."

Michiko nodded. "Thank you, Izumi." She looked up at her friend. "The next time I see a big pair of boobs, I'll think of your immortal words."

* * *

"I can't believe you're going out tonight." Miyu looked angry as Takuya pulled his clothes back on. "Why wouldn't Kouji invite me to his party? He knows I'm with you!"

"Maybe because he doesn't like you," Takuya snapped, pissed off.

"And if your friends don't like me, you shouldn't be with them!"

"Miyu." Takuya slowly turned around, staring at her dead in the eye. "Shut the fuck up. I'm sick of having to choose."

Miyu growled. "If you really loved me, you would've chosen a long time ago!"

Takuya ignored her and walked towards the door.

"Don't you dare walk out on me! Do you know who I am?"

"Yeah, I do. You're the bitch who's ruined everything between me and my friends! Fuck you and your stupid attitude!"

She kicked her legs and began screaming, punching the bed. "No! No! You'll regret this, understand? If you leave, I'll tell everybody about your secret!"

He froze in the doorway. "What?"

"The Digimon secret. I'll tell everybody. Don't think I won't."

"Miyu, you can't." He turned and looked at her. "You can't."

"Watch me."

"Miyu…"

"Come back in here. Now."

Slowly, he complied, going back into the room.

"Shut the door."

He did so.

"Now. Come to the bed."

Biting his tongue, he trudged to the bed, sitting down on the side.

She smiled at him for a brief moment, and in a flash, she slapped him across the face so hard that his head snapped to the side. She gripped his chin and forced him to look at her. "You aren't going out tonight. You're going to text Kouji and tell him that you're sorry, but I'm more important than any dumb party he could throw."

"Miyu, please," he whispered. "You can't-"

"I can't what?" she asked gently. "Go on…"

"You can't do this to me. You can't-"

"Oh, but I can." She pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips. "You love me. And I love you. And if this is what it takes to keep us together, so be it."

Takuya stuttered something unintelligible.

"Aww, don't be upset. You're happy with me."

For some reason, he felt an overwhelming urge to cry or punch her in the face. But he did neither. Instead, he just allowed her to kiss him.

* * *

Within an hour, the party was in full swing. The house was filled with people, some that Kouji didn't even know. Takuya still hadn't shown up, but everybody else (minus Tomoki, considering the fact that he was only thirteen) was there and enjoying themselves.

But the best part had to be that Izumi had spent practically the entire night with him. Life was damn good.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He smiled apologetically at Izumi. "Hang on a second." It was a text from Takuya.

_I'm not gonna be able to make it tonight. Some things came up with Miyu. Sorry. _

_~Fuck you, Takuya.~_

"Kouji, I don't feel good," Izumi murmured, falling to the side and landing in his lap.

"How so?" he asked, running a hand through her hair.

She answered by puking on his lap.

"Shit." He picked her up, slinging an arm over his shoulder. "Come on, let me bring you to get cleaned up." He brought her to his bedroom and helped her sit on the bed. "Hang on, let me get you a shirt."

"I want to go to sleep," she murmured.

"I'll let you in a minute." He went to his drawer and pulled out a t-shirt. It smelled clean… Izumi would be fine wearing this. He smirked to himself. Only this.

Of course, there was the dilemma of getting her into the shirt. She was too inebriated to do it herself, so it was up to him, he supposed. He ended up laying her on her back and pulling her jeans off. He had to fight the blush when he pulled her shirt off over her head, the black lacy bra was just… Focus, focus…

Eventually, he got the shirt on her, and she sprawled onto her back. He got next to her, hand on her cheek. "Izumi, you want some water or something?"

She said nothing.

Raising an eyebrow, he shook her a little bit. "Izumi. Izumi, do you want me to get you some water?"

No reply.

"Shit." Alcohol poisoning. It had to be alcohol poisoning. He had to get help! He had to save her! She could _die_. "_Shit._"

He sprinted out of his room, pants still splattered with puke.

The house party was a bad idea. Kouji had seen this scenario in so many teen movies, seen the horrible things that happened, but he thought that things would go perfectly.

And now, as he searched frantically through his packed and smoky house for one of his friends, he wanted to punch himself in the nuts.

He saw Tamotsu, but the stupid blonde asshole was drunk, doing shots off of some hot girl's stomach. Junpei had left with Michiko already, probably to have some sick, gross ape sex. Takuya… didn't even show up… He didn't even want to bring Tomoki into this mess, so that left Keiko and Kouichi. It was just a matter of who he found first.

* * *

"You know, I've always thought you were the hotter twin," the random girl with the dyed red hair said. She'd noticed him standing awkwardly by the window, so she came over and asked him to come sit with her and a couple of her friends.

He was actually having a really good time.

Atsuko wasn't even on his mind.

"Thanks," Kouichi said, taking a sip of beer. It was only his second, and probably his last. He felt nice, and he didn't want to be drunk.

"I'm really glad I finally got the chance to talk to you." She curled up next to him. "You're so cute… and sweet." She pressed a kiss to his chin. "I've never met anybody like you."

_Kouichi brushed the hair out of his face, staring at the feathers floating around the room. "I can't believe we had a pillow fight…"_

_Atsuko sighed and flopped down onto his bed. "It was fun though, right?"_

_He nodded. "Yeah…"_

_She gave a little giggle. "Now we just need to clean this mess up."_

_He watched as she blew a feather off of her nose and he smiled. "I've never met anybody like you."_

"Hey, are you alright? You just zoned out there," the girl whose name he didn't even know, whose name certainly wasn't Atsuko said.

"I'm… fine. I'll be back."

He moved away from her and went upstairs to his bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. He ripped a piece of paper out of a notebook and began scribbling on it.

_Atsuko,_

_I'm at this party at my house and I just can't stop thinking about you. I miss you. I miss what we used to be, and I regret not being able to say goodbye to you. I'm so sorry, Atsuko. I'm so sorry about everything I put you through._

_Kouichi._

* * *

He had to have searched through every fucking crevice and crack of his house, and then _finally._

Fina-fucking-lly he found Keiko. She was straddling some dude's lap on his couch, making out with him. Kouji huffed and grabbed her arm, pulling her away.

"What the fuck, man?" the guy, a blonde from the basketball team, demanded.

"You can have her back in a minute," Kouji muttered, dragging the girl away.

"What the hell, Kouji? Let go!" she snapped, still sober.

"I need your help."

"Fuck you! He was hot!"

He stopped in front of the doorway to his room. "And the two of you can have full use of my bedroom if you help me out."

Keiko paused. "I'm listening."

"I think Izumi has alcohol poisoning."

Her eyes widened. "What?" He pushed the door to his room open. Keiko got to the bed quickly, placing a hand on Izumi's cheek. "Izumi? Are you okay?"

The blonde girl pushed the hand away. "Leave me alone."

Keiko growled and glared at Kouji. "Alcohol poisoning, huh?"

Kouji huffed. "She wasn't talking earlier."

"Or maybe your love for her is just making you more worried."

"Shut up."

"She's gonna be fine. She's just drunk." Keiko sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "God, you pulled me off that hunk's lap for nothing. Now I gotta go give him some excuse."

"Not my problem."

"I don't know what all the girls see in you," Keiko said suddenly. "It's not like you're very nice to them."

"My charm."

"But they hang off of you even after they figure out you're a dick."

"Gee, thanks."

"I just don't get it. What do you do?"

"You really wanna know?"

She nodded frantically, smiling brightly.

"Alright…" He leaned close to her. "It's the kissing."

She blinked, her eyes wide. "Kissing?"

"Kissing."

"How?"

"It's a trade secret," he murmured, leaning even closer. "Wanna see it?"

She nodded, shutting her eyes.

"You sure?" His breath fluttered across her lips.

She hummed, parting her lips.

A hand slid into the back of her hair, the other pressing into the bed as he pressed his chest against hers. She gave a soft sigh, hand coming up to clutch his shirt. "Kouji…"

And then he was gone all of a sudden. She opened her eyes, gawking at the way he was leaned back on the bed, smirking at her. "That's all I have to do."

"But… you didn't even kiss me."

"I do that, then wait a couple hours. At that point, they're going crazy."

Keiko huffed. "Pig."

"You seemed to like it."

She shook her head. "I didn't."

Kouji gave a chuckle. "Don't be afraid to admit it. I know I'm good. And I know you want it."

"The only thing I want is in the form of a hot basketball player." Keiko stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, mama's gonna go get some tail."

"Go get 'im tiger."

* * *

Keiko swung her feet, biting her lip as she sat in the front seat of her basketball beau, Akihiko's car. "Do you care if I turn on the music?" she asked.

"Go ahead, babe."

Biting her lip, she leaned forward and turned the radio on. Some local station, playing love songs… She looked up at him. They hadn't done anything, because Kouji was a lying slut and didn't let them have his room. Even if they'd had it, they wouldn't have done much.

He was so cute… Absolutely fucking adorable and-

"Hey, you know how some people have those things?" he asked.

"What things?" she replied, raising her eyebrows.

"I can't think of what it's called… it's when they sort of shake for a second… like our eyes do it a lot. I can't think of the word…"

She stared. "A… a twitch?"

"Yeah!" He grinned. "Thanks doll, what would I do without you?"

She smiled and turned back to the road.

So cute… So stupid…

* * *

"I called the Digi-gang together for a reason today… It's about Miyu-"

"Before you start, can I ask you something?" Tamotsu asked. "If this is a Digimon-related meeting, why exactly am I here? I mean, I love you guys and all, but I could be home fighting this headache, but instead…"

"Because you're hot," Takuya replied. "Besides, you haven't been in many of the chapters lately."

"I'm never in _any _of the chapters, but I never get invited to do stuff," Tomoki said, tapping his chin. "I think it's age-related discrimination."

"Ugh, forget Natalie, she's a whore," Takuya snapped. "But to the more important issue… Miyu threatened to tell about… the Digimon thing…"

"What?" Izumi asked in a raspy voice. She was wearing sunglasses, still hungover. The early morning meeting didn't really do any good for any of the teens at the party. Junpei looked alright, since he left early with his girlfriend, and Tamotsu was only slightly disheveled. Because he's perfect.

"It's really hard to explain. I tried to break up with her and she said that if I do, she'll tell everybody about our situation. I don't know what to do."

Kouji sighed. "Don't break up with her."

"I can't deal with her anymore!" Takuya snapped. "She's driving me crazy!"

"I don't know what to tell you," the raven replied. "You got yourself into that mess, so you can take care of it. Now Keiko and I have to go back and air my house out-"

"Says who?" Keiko demanded.

"Me."

"Takuya," Izumi rasped. "I can help you."

"You can?" the brunette looked insanely happy. "I love you, blondie. You're a fucking lifesaver!"

She looked as pleased as she could with a hangover. Finally, she was going to break Miyu and Takuya up. And it was gonna be an absolute _ball_.

* * *

The buildup to the party lasted longer than the actual party... Fail. But I hope you guys liked it. :D Please read and review. For

So I know I've had a couple similar questions to this one, but here goes. :D :

If you had the chance to make any character do anything or do something with another character/you (and they have to do it, no matter what), what would it be? ;)

Takuya

Kouji

Keiko

Izumi

Kouichi

Junpei

Tomoki

Tamotsu

Michiko

Keiji

Saburo

Miyu

For example:

If I had the chance to do anything with Junpei, I would marry his sweet ass and turn him into my slave! :D


	29. The Lonely Girl Blues

OKAY, back on track, I promise. Obviously I'm extremely, inexcusably late, but I promise things will change. I'm going to Disney World this upcoming Saturday, so I might not have an update next week, but I'll do my best. I had SATs and finals and a ton of projects at the end of my junior year, but it's summer now, and I won't have to go back to school until September. :D

Oh, but I want to become a vlogger… What do y'all think?

So, I'm so sorry, and I really love you all, and here's the next chapter!

**Review replies to chapter 28:**

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: **Hehe, gorilla sex. xD Baha, liking blondes is just Kouji's excuse so he doesn't feel as vulnerable for liking (loving) Izumi so much. :P Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Marina Rose: **Aww, Kouichi is a doll, huh? Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like the chapter! :D

**Jennison Silverye: **Takuya IS a gentleman! :D I know! Poor Kouichi… Ha! You're the only one who caught on! Nobody's gonna believe dat bitch! Kouji is one sexy bastard. Can't deny. :D Hmmm… that's interesting. ;) HAHA! Keiko's like chopped liver to Kouji at this point. He's got his eyes on blondie. xD Thanks for the review and I hope you like the chapter! :D

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **I didn't win the challenge… D: I'm only four hours late though! I bet you masturbated, you sick fuck. Eh, don't feel like replying to your shit. Byez.

**Caliboy: **Heh, don't flatter yourself there, buddy. xD BLOWJOB? Caliboy, you fiend! Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! xD

**Lea: **Yeah, Miyu is a bitch. I love hating her. :D Thanks so much for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Empyrea: **Ooh, I knew you had a little freak in you. xD Thanks for the review and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Celestial writer: **I know. It's nice to see that loving side of good old KouKou. Hmm… tragic accident. Taking notes. ;) Aww, you just love Takuya. xD Thanks a bunch for the review and I hope you like this chapter!

* * *

"I'm too tired," Keiko whined, laying down on the floor on her stomach. "And so hungry… Let's take a break…"

Kouji nudged the girl in the side with his foot, hands on his hips. "We're almost done. We just have to put the fans up."

She made a sad little cry and sat up, looking at him miserably. "Kouji…"

He sighed and held his hand out. "I know. We're almost done."

She placed her hand in his and got to her feet. "You owe me a meal."

"I can't cook."

"Then take me out like a woman should be."

He rolled his eyes and turned around. "I spent my money on alcohol. You know, the alcohol you drank last night."

"And that was very sweet of you," the brunette cooed, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "But if you remember correctly, my sweet Kou-poo decided to take me off of that hot guy last night and then lie about letting me have his room."

Kouji growled. "Fine."

"Squid strike!" She wrapped her legs around him as well. "Now where are the fans?"

"In the closet upstairs," he said. "Now get off."

"Carry me upstairs, you will."

"Star Wars reference," he muttered.

She pushed her face into the back of his neck. "Smell good, you do."

"Bitch."

"Return favor and lies, you will."

"Alright, fine. Just stop talking like that."

"Stop talking like Yoda, I won't."

He fell backwards on the floor.

"Oww!" she yelled. "That hurt!"

"I told you to stop talking like that."

"Typical Steve Staley character, you are."

* * *

Izumi laid a poster board down. "Step one in breaking Miyu's heart-"

"I don't want to break her heart," Takuya said softly, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I still…" He pursed his lips. "I still love her."

Izumi's eyes bulged. "Love her? After she threatened to tell your secret? After she made our lives miserable?"

He gave a little smile. "Love makes you do crazy things…"

Izumi rolled her eyes. "Love shmove."

Takuya pursed his lips. "You still can't get enough of me…"

She gawked. "What?"

"The reason you're so bent on making Miyu so upset it because you still love me. And you want her out of the picture so you can have me." He scratched his chin. "It's all making sense, now…"

"That's not true!" she snapped.

"Then why do you want to break her heart so badly, huh?"

"Because she ruined you. She ruined everything about you. I did love you Takuya. The old Takuya. Not the fucked up person she turned you into. That's why I hate Miyu so much."

"It's still me, Izumi."

The blonde shook her head. "Wrong. You're wrong. You're Miyu. You're just like her."

He stared at her for several moments before averting his eyes. "Let's just get on with this plan, alright?"

* * *

"I'm not happy anymore."

Junpei frowned and looked across the table at Michiko, who was staring at her salad, cheeks pink. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged, biting her lip. "I'm not happy anymore."

"With what?"

"Us."

"You're doing this now?" he asked. "Couldn't we just do this in private?"

"If I don't say it now, I know I'll never get the guts to do it again," she confessed. "I just… I'm not happy anymore. All we ever do is fight. I can't do this anymore, Junpei."

He slid his hand across the table to touch hers. "I don't want to break up."

She smiled bitterly at him. "Don't pretend like you're into me. I see the way you look at other girls. I'm not a fool."

"It's always been you, Michiko. You're all I want."

"I can't do it anymore. I've cried too much over you. You're breaking my heart."

"Look at you. You're breaking my fucking heart right now!" he snapped.

The entire restaurant stared at him. He took a few deep breaths and threw some money down on the table. "This should be enough to cover lunch and a cab."

She didn't say a word as he walked out of the restaurant.

The snowy air outside did nothing to help the burning behind his eyes.

* * *

"_Today we will be experiencing record snowfall and low temperatures. For all you lovebirds, this is the perfect night to curl up in front of the fireplace and enjoy each other's company."_

"That weatherman's a fucking pervert," Kouji muttered through a bite of dango.

"He's a romantic," Keiko replied, eyes not leaving her phone. "For Izumi's little breakup plan, we need to go out to the mall in Gunma… She wants us to come."

Kouji stared. "Why?"

"Because we're her friends…"

"No, why does she need to go to that particular mall? It's two hours away."

"Oh." She looked back at her phone. "Because… Gunma has a nice chainsaw collection, apparently."

He sighed. "Nice."

"Are you gonna go?"

"I'll go if you are. I refuse to be alone with the two of them."

She smiled and wrote a reply out in her phone. "Takuya's mom is letting him use the car. He's going to drive us. If we leave now, we'll be back home by ten."

"Hn." He peered over her shoulder. "Tell them to come pick us up."

"Aye aye."

Fifteen minutes later, the SUV was in the driveway, and the two teens walked out of Kouji's house. They'd invited Kouichi, but he'd quietly informed them that he didn't feel well, and he was going to stay inside.

"It's freezing out here," Keiko said, breathing into her hands. "They weren't kidding about the weather, huh?"

Kouji shook his head and opened the door to the backseat. Takuya was in the driver's seat and Izumi was in the passenger's.

"I'm so glad you guys could come!" the blonde chirped. "Chainsaw shopping wouldn't be the same without the two of you!"

"Why do you need a chainsaw anyway?" Kouji asked, climbing into the seat, Keiko behind him.

"Just trust me. We'll need it," she said, nodding determinedly.

"You guys are fucking crazy," Kouji muttered, running a hand over his face. He paused. They were crazy. And they got along so well. They really were perfect together.

"Alright! Off we go!"

* * *

"I really don't know what to tell you, man," Tamotsu said apologetically, scratching the back of his neck. "Michiko never said anything to me about breaking up with you."

"Yeah…" The brunette sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "If you hear anything from her, could you let me know? I need to talk to her."

"Yeah, no problem. Sorry about that." Tamotsu waved as Junpei left through the front door. He hummed and walked back into the house, his brother sitting on the couch. "Freeloader. Shouldn't you be at school?"

"Don't talk to your big brother like that," Matsui said. "Come sit with your big bro."

"I don't want to catch crabs."

The older blonde frowned before grabbing his brother in a headlock. "What was that, bitch? Huh?"

"Ow, ow!" Tamotsu shrieked. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"MATSUI LET YOUR BROTHER GO, NOW!"

He growled and pushed Tamotsu over. "Pussy."

"Mom always liked me more."

"Yeah right. MOMMY, WHO DO YOU LOVE MORE? ME OR TAMOTSU?"

"MOMMY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER, WE ALL KNOW IT'S ME!"

"MOMMY, ANSWER!"

"I LOVE BOTH OF MY BOYS EQUALLY, NOW SHUT UP!"

The siblings growled at each other.

"I heard about that run in with Kouji on that trip to the beach."

Tamotsu's eyes widened as he flashed back.

_The next king was Takuya. "Okay! 9 and 2 have to make out for two minutes! Tongue and all!" Somewhere in his mind, he was hoping it would be Izumi and Miyu._

_It wasn't what he'd been hoping for though. In fact, they were both guys. Tamotsu and Kouji._

_"I'm not doing it," the blonde said, shaking his head. "No. Way."_

_"What's wrong?" Kouji smirked. "You afraid I'll dominate you?"_

_Tamotsu's eyes narrowed at the challenge. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

_"I'm sure everybody in the room would agree that I'm the seme between the two of us."_

_"No way! I totally am!"_

_"Actually, I agree with Kouji," Izumi said, smiling. "Sorry."_

_"What? You're out of your mind!"_

_"I agree with Kouji, too."_

_"Yeah, so do I."_

_"You might as well stamp uke on Tamotsu's forehead."_

_"That was uncalled for, Keiko," the blonde huffed. "And there's no way you would dominate me, Kouji. You wish you could in your dreams though."_

_"Prove it, then."_

_"Huh?"_

_"Prove. It."_

_Tamotsu growled and moved forward, trying to hide his nervousness. Kouji just had a smug smile on his face._

_Until his lips touched the blonde's._

_Kouji pushed forward, pushing Tamotsu to lie on the ground beneath him. The blonde squirmed, obviously uncomfortable with what was happening, but he didn't back down. He closed his eyes and allowed Kouji to deepen the kiss._

_The raven's hands snaked down and he grabbed two handfuls of ass, causing Tamotsu to give a very un-manly squeak. "Hey, that was so unnecessary, man!" he cried, breaking the kiss._

_"Shut up."_

_"Fuck-"_

_Kouji used the opening to shove his tongue into the blonde's mouth, his moving up to cup the cheeks on his face this time. Tamotsu was murmuring nonsensically as Kouji completely and utterly dominated the hell out of him._

_"Time's up," Junpei muttered, looking slightly disturbed. "In bed."_

_Kouji pulled off of Tamotsu and smirked as he sat back down in his spot, looking completely unruffled._

_Tamotsu on the other hand has swollen lips, flushed cheeks and his sweats were barely covering his ass. "Dude, what the hell?"_

_"Hmm?" Kouji raised an eyebrow. "What?"_

_"Y-You-!"_

_Izumi was wiping the blood off her face, grinning. "That was the best two minutes of my life."_

"Matsui, where the fuck did you hear about that?"

"I read your diary."

"It's a journal! And what the fuck? Why would you do that, that's personal and private, you can't just go through my shit!"

"Well I did."

Tamotsu began hyperventilating. "MOMMY!"

* * *

"Pink chainsaw handle covers…" Keiko sighed, running a hand through her hair. "They're nowhere to be found. Kouji, any luck?"

"I can't believe she sent me to go with you to find the chainsaw handle covers. It would've been easier if I just went with her…"

"Kouji…?"

"I would've been a bigger help finding the gas tanks than fucking Takuya would be. I have a better eye for shit like that…"

"Hey, Kouji?"

"Takuya would be way too annoying anyway. I'm the real man. His hair is so girly…"

"Kouji." Keiko tapped his arm.

"What?"

"You're talking to yourself."

He frowned and looked at her. "What?"

"You've been talking to yourself. Are you okay?"

"I'm just pissed that Izumi didn't want to go with me."

Keiko blinked. "Wow. You actually shared your feelings…"

"You're like, one of my best friends, Keiko. Am I just supposed to keep it from you?"

The brunette's eyes got all teary before she opened her arms up and walked over to the raven. "Oh, Kouji…"

"Get away from me."

"Kouji, I love you too!"

"Stop that, Keiko."

She wrapped her arms around him. "You're one of my best friends too!"

He pushed her away roughly. "Knock it off."

She gave him a bright smile. "I'm so glad we're close, Kouji."

"Enough with that mushy shit. Help me find these chainsaw handle covers."

"Yes captain."

* * *

"Alright, how much does it all cost?" Takuya asked.

"Five hundred dollars," Izumi replied. "Not bad for everything we got."

"Five hundred fucking dollars? Are you joking? How the hell are we supposed to pay for that?"

"I got it." The blonde pulled several hundred dollar bills out of her purse and gave it to the cashier.

"Where the hell did you get that money?"

"Saburo gave it to me. He paid me to record him and Akira's Land Before Time themed sex scene."

The brunette stared in horror. "I… what?"

"You heard me."

He laughed awkwardly. "Uh, so tell me… how exactly does that work… a Land Before Time themed sex scene?"

"Well, you start in the Great Valley-"

"Hey guys!" Keiko came walking over holding an ice cream cone and a cage with a guinea pig in it. Kouji was behind her, holding a couple bags.

"Keiko! You got a guinea pig?"

"Uh huh. He was all alone in his exhibit, and this awful lady with a tattoo that said 'I eat guinea pigs for breakfast' said she wanted a guinea pig, so I had to save him!"

"That's not what happened," Kouji muttered. "A little boy wanted to buy him, and Keiko paid him to buy a turtle instead."

"Keiko, are you serious?" Izumi asked.

"Um, well… yeah."

Kouji sighed. "Are we done yet? It's getting late."

Takuya looked at his phone. "It's already six? Let's grab a bite to eat and head out. There's a pizza place somewhere in here."

"Let's just hurry. I've got girls to bang."

Keiko stared at the raven haired teen. "That's no way to woo Izumi," she whispered.

"Trust me, it is."

"No, you should do that kissing thing on her. That really worked."

Kouji smirked. "Hn."

"What're you two whispering about? Let's go!"

* * *

"Emergency manicure session?" Natsumi asked, steering the car through the snowy streets of Shibuya. "You know I love you honey, but I'm not sure I understand."

Miyu's nails drummed against her Louis Vuitton bag. "I need to be pampered, since _Takuya's _dumb ass decided to go out to the mall with that skank Izumi."

"Ugh, I hate that bitch," Natsumi muttered, pushing a strand of her bleached hair behind her ear. "What are you gonna do about her?"

Miyu hummed. "Not sure yet. I want to make her life miserable."

The blonde laughed. "What, are you getting your nails done in preparation for clawing her fake blonde hair out?"

"Her eyes, actually," Miyu said, smirking. "Did you know Izumi slept with Kouji?"

"What?" Natsumi gaped at the brunette. "No way! I slept with him too! She probably didn't get much action in that roast beef sandwich she calls a vag."

"And she slept with Tamotsu when Keiko was still dating him."

"Wow, what a slut!" Natsumi exclaimed. "How are we gonna take care of her again?"

"Oh, I'll give you the entirety of the plan while we get our nails done," Miyu promised. "And you'll love it."

* * *

"What the fuck is with this traffic?" Takuya yelled, punching the steering wheel. "Can't these bitches move?"

"Road rage isn't going to do anybody any good," Kouji muttered. "It's probably this snow storm."

That's when they noticed a man bundled up heavily in snow gear walk up to their car and knock on the window. Takuya rolled it down, sort of confused.

"Hey guys, this whole line of traffic is gonna be snowed in for the night."

"What?" Takuya cried, gawking.

"Keep your heat on all night and get ready to sleep here. We're going to be passing out water and blankets in a few minutes and when your tank starts to run low, put your hazard lights on and we'll refill it for you. Not getting out of the car unless you need to use the bathroom, alright?"

"Okay…"

He rolled up the window as the man left, and just sat there in silence.

"It'll be okay," Izumi said, turning around and looking at the two in the backseat. "We'll just put the seats down and-"

She was interrupted by heavy breathing. She turned, watching as Takuya began breathing harshly, kicking his legs a little bit. "Um, Takuya?"

"What's his problem?" Kouji asked.

"I've seen this in a movie," the brunette whispered, eyes wide. He turned to look at them. "I've seen this, we're all going to go crazy and eat each other, and I'll be the sole survivor!"

"What?" Kouji snapped. "Why you?"

"I'd be the main character. First Keiko would die, because she'd run out into the snow storm after going insane."

"Come on, I wouldn't be that dumb!" Keiko wailed.

"And then it'd be Izumi. First we'd have a hot threesome, then we'd eat her."

The blonde stared. "That's fucking gross, Takuya."

"And then Kouji would commit suicide minutes before help came in a shocking twist, then I would cry over his corpse."

"That sounds like a mix of a Discovery Channel special on shark attacks and The Mist. I don't know where the threesome came from, though," Kouji muttered.

"An Officer and a Gentleman."

"Okay…"

"Remember, the dad had two Asian ladies in his bed?"

"Oh, that's right…"

"Guys, we're all gonna die! I just died, I don't want to die again!"

"We're not going to die."

"Only the virgins and main characters live! The hot douche bag goes down, the blonde with the boobs goes down, and the brunette with the money goes down!" Takuya ran a hand through his hair. "Oh God, this is how the movies always are…"

"But Takuya, this isn't a movie," Izumi said.

The brunette stared ahead for several moments before smiling. "You're so right."

The other three gawked.

* * *

Within a few minutes, the seats were put down, and there were blankets spread across the makeshift floor. They'd all taken their own corners of the car, curled up in the small blankets they'd been passed out. It was warm, and music was playing. One night wasn't going to be so bad… right?

"For some reason, this reminds me of that time we all took that trip to the beach," Takuya said off-handedly.

Kouji huffed. "That was hell."

"What? I thought it was kind of fun!"

"Are you serious? That was the worst trip I've ever been on."

"Why?"

"Because your girlfriend is a crazy, maniacal, nasty bitch."

"Don't say that about her…"

"What? Dude, she just threatened to tell the world about our secret! What the hell do you see in her?"

"She's a good person. I know none of you see that, but she is. I can understand why you all don't like her, because you feel like she's the reason I "changed" or whatever."

"She _did _change you," Izumi huffed, rolling her eyes. "I think you're crazy for not seeing that. Everything seemed like it was going to be okay when you first came back-"

"Because you thought I was going to be with you."

Silence. Dead Silence.

Takuya sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I don't love you anymore, Izumi. I… I really do love Miyu. I can't be with her, but that doesn't mean I don't love her."

"Well that's fine, Takuya, because I don't love you anymore either," Izumi said. "And I never will."

The tension could be cut with a knife. Keiko hadn't said a word concerning the argument, and she resolved to stay silent for the entire night if need be.

Kouji rubbed his eyes. "Great. I'm glad this fucking trip went so well. I'm going to sleep." He pulled the blanket over him and turned on his side. "Goodnight."

Without a word, Keiko did the same.

Takuya watched Izumi curl up in the corner of the SUV. He sat there, listening to the Pop 100 until he knew everybody in the car was asleep. That's when he punched the floor so hard that he heard his knuckles crack.

* * *

Kouji woke up because he was freezing his balls off. He rubbed his eyes and looked around the car. Everybody was still asleep. Keeping the blanket tight against him, the navigated his way across the floor and turned the hazard lights on before opening the gas tank cover. "Shit," he murmured, sliding back across the floor and cursing when he found that it was only one in the morning.

"Ow," Keiko muttered in her sleep when he accidentally ran over his fingers with his knee.

"Sorry."

She hummed and flipped over, shivering.

He stayed up until the gas tank was refilled and he was able to start the car again after thanking them. He blasted the heat and went back into his corner, cocooning himself in the blankets.

(A/N: that was a really pointless scene.)

* * *

The car ride home was shit. Nobody said a word once they got dug out of the snow. It seemed to be déjà vu, as this had happened numerous times, fighting or arguing then facing the extreme awkwardness of the once best friends. Takuya dropped everybody off at their houses, before heading to Miyu's house.

She was all he had. And with the way his friends were acting, all he needed.

* * *

As farfetched as being trapped in a car on the highway with cops handing gas out, it actually happened in my area. Outside of Buffalo (not where I live, but in the same state, btw) on a highway, a bunch of cars got trapped in the snow and it was freezing out. Gas trucks started to come around to fill tanks up so people wouldn't lose the heat from their car and they were handing out blankets. They had to spend the entire night there. Crazy, right? I thought so. :D

My question for this time! In your opinion, what are five things that absolutely need to happen before this story ends?

Anywho, read and review y'all! :D PEACE!


	30. Scandal

Hey guys, sorry I've been gone so long. I've had a lot of stuff going on, plus this annoying little character development/relationship establishment arc is starting to get hard to write, but once we're through it, it'll be better, I pwomise. :D

Anywho, sydneybell24 posted a new chapter of The Bet, so go check it out. I pretty much came when I read it. :D

**Review replies to chapter 29:**

**GirlsLikeeBoys: **Hehe, I just realized how silly your penname is.

**DephsXylex: **Woodchipper, huh? *Scribbles in black notebook*

**Caliboy: ***Sniff* I love you too Caliboy! ;,)

**JennisonSilverye: **I'm a Takumi fan myself, so it burned writing that. D: You caught on. Miyu and Natsumi are bitches, so you can only imagine what they're going to do. ):

**Marina Rose: **So… I take it Miyu's your favorite character? ;) I agree, I love clicheness. It makes the world go round. :D

**EclipseWiccan29: **Of course! Everybody goes crying to their mommies when things go wrong! xD And you're right, Takuya seriously needs to get his shit together…

**Empyrea: **Takuya's bipolar or something… Ooh, I loved number two on your top 5. I've been thinking about doing that for a while as well, so if somebody wants to see it, I'm more inclined to do it. :D

**KuramaMustangElric: **Hehe, thanks!

* * *

"Takuya," Izumi called, knocking on the door briefly. She rubbed her arms against the brisk cold from outside. Today was day one of the plan to destroy Miyu's heart, and she was supposed to meet him to start. "Takuya!"

The door to the apartment opened and the brunette gave a laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, I was in the shower. I didn't hear you until I was out."

She forced herself not to look at his chest and stomach, since he was only wearing a pair of sweatpants. Instead, she raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would you take a shower? You knew I was coming over."

He shrugged. "I dunno. I felt like it I guess." He laughed.

"Weirdo."

"Well, let's get this started," the brunette said with a sigh, letting the girl in.

"Where're your parents?" she asked, looking around. "And Shinya."

"Natalie doesn't put any family into stories, didn't you know that?"

"What was that?"

"Nothing. They're out of town. I'm housesitting this weekend." He grinned proudly.

"Where were they bringing Shinya that you couldn't go too?"

"Ah, some stupid hockey seminar thing. I was like, 'hell naw, I'm not going' so here I am, watching the house."

The blonde gave a little smile. "Well, let's get this started."

* * *

"Kouji, give me your… sixes," Keiko said, biting her lip as she looked at the cards in her hand.

Kouji growled and ripped a card away from the one he held, throwing her the card. "Here, take the fucking six."

"It's just a game, Kouji," Kouichi said, smiling.

"Well it's a stupid game."

Keiko looked warily over at Tomoki, who was seated at her left. It was his idea to play cards. She cleared her throat. "I think it's fun."

Kouji glared at her, and she shrank down.

"We can play something else," Tomoki said. "We can play video games."

"Yeah, don't you have a huge gaming system downstairs?" Kouji asked Keiko.

"I do," she said, standing up and smiling. "Come on down."

She led the three teens down three floors, before opening to door to the basement. "The Playstation's already set up. I'm gonna grab some snacks. You guys want anything?"

"Chips," Kouji called up, still grumpy.

"I'm good," Kouichi answered.

"Some water, please?"

Keiko walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of water. As she shut the door, she noticed chocolate syrup sitting on the door's shelf. She licked her lips and pulled it out before going to the pantry to find something to put it on. After a couple minutes deliberation, she came back to the counter with a jar of peanut butter.

Biting her lip, she grabbed a spoon and scooped a large amount onto it before drizzling as much chocolate syrup as she could on it. As an afterthought, she put some mini-marshmallows in the lump.

"Ooh," she murmured, before stuffing the entire thing in her mouth.

"Keiko?"

She spun around, spoon still in her mouth.

Kouichi was standing there. "Um. What are you doing?"

* * *

"So I was thinking maybe we could go out sometime," Tamotsu said, smiling brightly at the blonde with the tongue ring.

She raised an eyebrow. "Me and you? No."

The teen just stared as the girl walked away, leaving him standing alone in the mall. "Damn it."

This was the tenth time he'd gotten denied in a _week_. It was humiliating, and frustrating, because all he needed was a little bit of release. And he was hot! So what was the problem?

"Maybe it's just girls…" Tamotsu scratched his chin. "Hmm… I know! I'll go gay!"

Everybody in the mall turned and stared at him, horrified looks on their faces.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry…"

* * *

"I'm pretty sure it's impossible to do this," Takuya said.

"What?" Izumi asked, narrowing her eyes. "Why not?"

"Miyu loves me a lot. And she's not going to let go easily. Even if I did break up with her, she wouldn't leave me alone."

"So what're you saying?"

"I don't know," he sighed.

"Then the best way to do it would be to make her hate you," she said. "Damn it. That means we can't use the chainsaw." She ran a hand through her fairy blonde hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Takuya staring at her. "What?"

"Make her hate me…"

"Yes."

"I could always cheat on her, you know… Or make her think I am."

"Yeah, find some hot bitch at a party and screw her or something."

"No, I need to make her hate me. Like… hook up with somebody close to me."

Izumi pursed her lips. "Well, there's always Michiko or Keiko. They're both sort of recovering from their break-ups, though…"

"Or if I hooked up with somebody Miyu hates with a passion."

"Well, there's plenty of people if that's the case." Izumi went down to playing with her nails. "Miyu doesn't like anybody with a vagina. Besides Natsumi, of course. And that one other girl."

"Izumi…"

"What?"

"I'm talking about _you_."

The blonde's eyes widened. "What?"

"She would hate me if I hooked up with you. I mean, we don't actually have to hook up, but she needs to see us make out or something."

"Takuya, I don't know about that."

"Aww, come on," the brunette said, smiling. "It would be perfect! I mean, I want to break up with her, but at the same time I don't-"

"I still don't understand that."

"So if she hates me and never talks to me again, I won't feel as pressured to go back to her!"

She stared at him for several seconds. "She'll probably kill me."

"Oh, she's harmless." Takuya placed his hands on her shoulders. "Izumi. It's perfect. She'll hate me, you already hate her, I'll get to make out with you and she'll be out of our lives for good."

Izumi blinked. "Uh, what was that one you said?"

"Hmm? She'll hate me?"

"No, after that."

"She'll be out of our lives for good."

"Before that."

"You already hate her?"

"Hmm."

He smiled at her. "Come on, it'll be great. And I'll find a way for you to use that chainsaw."

She took a deep breath. "That's going to ruin my reputation. People are gonna think I'm a slut."

"I've got you covered. I'll throw the story out there that you thought we were broken up."

"I don't know."

"Please?"

She pursed her lips. "Tell me I'm pretty."

"You're pretty."

"Alright, it's a deal."

Takuya grinned. "Awesome, we should do it-"

Miyu's voice suddenly rang out from downstairs. "Takuya! Where are you? I'm coming up!"

* * *

Keiko swallowed. "Eating…"

"I see that," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I wanted to know if you needed help bringing the stuff down stairs."

"Oh, thanks." She smiled and bit her lip. "Kouichi, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Everything that happened with Atsuko… are you alright?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What brought this up?"

"Well, I know that you really liked her, and I know how you feel, because Tamotsu and I broke up not that long ago, so I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

He smiled. "You're a good friend."

She pursed her lips. "You're a tough nut to crack, 'Ichi. I'll get you to talk to me. You just wait."

"Just try it."

"Trust me, I will."

* * *

"Shit, you have to hide," Takuya hissed, grabbing the blonde and pulling her to the closet.

"Why do I have to? Why don't you just tell her we were hanging out-"

"Just hang on, I'll get her out of here," he said, pushing the girl into the closet and shutting the door just as Miyu came into the room.

"Takuya! Why didn't you answer the phone?" she demanded, marching up to him.

"I just got out of the shower," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I haven't had my phone on hand."

The brunette huffed and rolled her eyes. "That's a great lie."

"It's not a lie. What brings you here, anyway?"

"I got suspicious," she said, looking around the room. "I wanted to make sure nothing was going on."

"You're always suspicious."

"I have a right to be with that group you hang out with."

"Did you really come over here to yell at me?"

"No, I came here because I wanted to fuck you."

He gawked. "Huh?"

She unbuttoned her shirt and strutted to the bed. "Since your parents aren't home, we can be as loud as we want."

The teen glanced warily towards the closet. "I don't know."

"What, did your balls fall off?" she demanded. "Come here and fuck me."

Takuya gulped. "Um, alright."

* * *

"My guidance counselor called me up to her office yesterday," Kouji said. "She offered a study abroad program to the States."

"Really?" Kouichi smiled widely. "That's pretty exciting Kouji."

He shrugged. "I'm not going."

"Why not?"

"I like it here more…"

"So Tomoki, are you still dating Chiaki?" Keiko asked, sipping at her water as Kouichi and Kouji mindlessly played a video game.

He smiled slightly. "Yeah, I am…"

"That's so cute…"

"I really like her. There's just a little problem though."

"What's that?"

"Remember Katsuharu from the Digital World?"

"Oh, the little bastard with the beady eyes? I hated that kid."

"He's one of my closest friends."

"Ah, I meant I thought he was very nice!" She laughed weakly and scratched the back of her head.

Tomoki smiled. "It's okay. The problem is he likes Chiaki. A lot."

"Oh wow, that's awful. Have you two talked about it?"

"We're not girls, Keiko. We don't constantly talk about our feelings."

"Oh yeah… Isn't it awkward though?" she asked, frowning slightly. "You're caught in a love triangle."

Tomoki smiled. "A love triangle sounds more fun than it is."

"I know exactly how you feel. _Kouji _over there used to pine for my feelings constantly. He fought with Tamotsu and everything."

"Oh yeah, I remember that!"

Kouji turned and glared. "I just wanted to use you."

"It's okay, Kouji. I know how hard it is to admit how much you really loved me."

"Yeah right. I never liked you at all."

Keiko sighed and turned back to Tomoki. He noticed a small frown on her face. "Has this put a strain on your friendship with Katsuharu?"

"A little bit, I guess. I feel sorta bad. Whenever I try to talk about it with him he laughs it off and changed the subject to something else."

"Maybe you should call him to talk about it. Sometimes people don't like being confronted face to face…"

Tomoki nodded slowly. "That seems like a really good idea…"

The brunette teen smiled and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

* * *

"I'll see you tomorrow," Miyu said an hour later, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Bye Miyu," Takuya said, scratching the back of his head and pulling his boxers back on.

As soon as the car started out in the driveway, Izumi burst out of the closet, eyes wide and face red. Immediately she began flipping out in Italian. Takuya wasn't sure what she was saying, but he had a pretty good idea.

"Izumi, I can't understand you!"

"Fuck you, Takuya!"

"It wasn't my fault," he said, standing up. "Don't be mad."

"I'm not, I'm just grossed out," she said, running her hands across her face. "Ugh! I was in there for an hour listening to that shit!"

Takuya grinned.

"It's not funny."

"It is, though."

Izumi narrowed her eyes. "Look pal, do you want my help, or not?"

"I do, I do!" The brunette raised his hands up in surrender.

"Then we'll start now." Izumi took a deep breath and sat down next to him, pulling her purse out from under the bed where it'd been hidden. She pulled a piece of paper out of it. "These are my dating rules."

"Wait, you have rules?"

"Of course I have rules," she huffed. "Every girl does. I just keep mine written down."

Takuya blinked.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "I'll read them for you. Number one: public displays of affection are a must at least once every three days. All holidays apply except for Labor Day. Number two: I need to be pampered. This includes massages, being told I'm pretty, etc. Number 3-"

"I'm not following the rules. We're not really dating."

"We need to be convincing."

"Even if we were dating, I wouldn't need rules to keep you around."

Izumi scowled, but her heart was pounding hard in her chest.

* * *

In school on Tuesday, Kouji was shocked at what Tamotsu said to him.

"What was that, Tamotsu?"

The blonde's face was red. "Well, ya see, I'm sort of having trouble with girls, so I figured I'd become gay."

"Uh, that's not exactly how it works…"

"Oh…" His shoulders slouched. "Never mind then. I'll just find somebody else to hook up with." He turned and began walking away.

The raven stared. Sex… with Tamotsu. He couldn't pass it up. "Wait!"

The blonde turned.

"Tamotsu, I'll do it with you. I just… you can't really be gay by choice."

"I know, but just in case I am, I want to unleash it."

Kouji ran a hand through his hair. "So when do you want me to fuck you?"

"You mean when do you want me to fuck you, right?" Tamotsu asked, smiling. "How about Saturday night? My parents aren't gonna be home."

Kouji grinned. "Great."

"You really don't mind?"

_~Absolutely not.~ _He shrugged. "I haven't got anything better to do."

"You're the best."

The raven stared lecherously as Tamotsu walked away. "No, _you _are."

* * *

"WHAT?"

Kouji nodded. "Yep."

"You can't do that!"

"Can too."

Keiko frowned. "Kouji, you don't fuck your friends' exes. It's a rule!"

"It's different in this case. And aren't you glad I at least told you about it?"

She lowered her gaze into her cup of coffee. "Well, yeah. When exactly did he ask you about this?"

"A couple days ago. We're fucking on Saturday."

She gave a disgruntled moan. "There's another reason you told me, isn't there?"

He smirked. "Yeah. What exactly does he like?"

She squawked. "HAH?"

"You know, does he like certain blowjob techniques? Maybe getting his nipples pinched?"

"Kouji, you've never even had sex with a guy, so how would you know about blowjob techniques?"

He stared at her. "I have had sex with a guy."

"You have?"

He nodded. "That guy in math class with the big eyes, and the redhead in my homeroom. Couple other nameless guys... And Saburo and Akira."

"…My brother and his boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

She ran her hands over her face. "Okay."

"So? What does he like?"

She took a deep breath. "He likes it when you run your hands through his hair on the back of his head. That's all I'm going to say."

Kouji smiled. "I owe you, Keiko."

"Yeah, yeah, now shut up and get out. My break's almost over."

* * *

'Tis all this chapter. This was all just to set up something bigger that'll happen in the next few chapters coming up. :D Sorry it was so short, but I really needed to get it out and in the open so you all know I'm alive. I really love you all, and I'm so sorry it took so long to update this. I hope you guys know how much I really appreciate your patience and amazing reviews. (:


	31. A Very Important Announcement

**A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT**

Howdy y'all. No, this isn't the announcement of my resignation from this story. Don't worry. :P

So there's this amazing dollmaker site called dolldivine . com (minus the spaces, obv.) where you can make dolls and save them and blah blah blah. So I made an account on it and I just realized that through that site I could show you what the characters all look like and have contests and stuff! So if you're interested let me know in the reviews or PMs, because I'd love to have a little contest to see who makes the best Keiko using certain dollmakers. All you would need to do is get an account (totally free), make the doll and save it to your account! Let me know what you think, okay? :D

I'm guessing that my next chapter will be out hmm… not tomorrow, but the next day, and it'll have the review replies embedded in them too. :D (Hell, maybe I'll even get the chapter out tonight...)


	32. Fluff and Stuff

So here we are again, another chapter of 'Here's to the Night' has been written. Again, I really am sorry for the wait on these. I've been enjoying my senior year a wittle too much. ;)

Merry (super) Belated Crimmus/Hanukah/Kwanzaa/Whatever gets you there. :)

Okay, so about a month ago GirlsLikeeBoys and I were extremely inebriated, and I had a serious epiphany about my story. I won't say it right out, but I hope you guys all notice it. :)

Enough from the writer, enjoy the review replies and the chaptuh! :D

**Review replies to chapter 30:**

**KuramaMustangElric: **I know, Miyu truly is a slut. :D Haha, Kouji's willing to stick it anywhere. ;)

**FUCKJOSHELYD: **You're such a slob… I hate you…

**Caliboy: **Update soon you said… How long has it been? xD I think Miyu is a prime piece of ass… a heartless piece of ass, but still a piece of ass. HAHA, "your ever faithful slave" made me die when I first read it. You slay me, you Canadian bastard.

**Darkness Within Us:** I'm a yaoi fangirl, what did you expect? xD

**Celestial Writer: **Haha, I think EVERYBODY wants Miyu to die… xD Poor Izumi. She's so presh. Oh, nice choices. Very humble. Y'know, besides the death and pillage… xD

**Kou-chan: **That's kind of how life is, especially in high school. I haven't stuck with the same guy the entire time, that's for sure. Good old Miyu, I'm really glad everybody hates her so much. It's so fun writing the villainous character. :D

**Empyrea: **Yay! Glad to hear it! I've seriously missed writing this story. The characters are so near and dear to my heart. ;,) You know Tamotsu, always taking everything to the extreme. ;) Haha, thanks so much!

**Jennison Silverye: **Haha, I'm glad you liked it! :D *Starts Takumi chants* Don't worry, as crazy as Izumi is, she wouldn't murder anybody. :P Love triangles are just joyous. Except when you're involved in one. Then it's not fun. Ooh, you caught that. :) Tamotsu is just too fun. I love him. :D Hehe, I think you're a little bit of a closet pervert. x) Aww, I'm glad you loved it. :D

**EclipseWiccan: **HAHA, we've all had those moments where the wrong things are screamed at the wrong time. That's too funny. xD I would certainly need therapy after that shit… ;)

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: **Haha, it's so rarely updated nowadays it's basically unnecessary. xD That wouldn't surprise me, Miyu's a complete bitch. :D

* * *

Keiko stared wide eyed at the computer screen. She had an email from her mother's sister. The same one that had apparently gone nuts after the deaths and went into hiding. The same one that didn't help them with the custody battle.

_There's something you need to know about your parents' death. I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine._

The email went on to say that her aunt had gone through all of her money because of drugs. Her sister's death had struck such a deep chord that she became addicted to cocaine. Her aunt wanted two million dollars to make sure she was secure for life, and in exchange, she would tell Keiko "a hidden gem" about her family.

_There are things you need to know. Tell nobody. I'll meet you at Shibuya station on Sunday, at ten PM. _

With a racing heart, Keiko logged onto her brother's bank account and drained it of two million dollars.

* * *

The first thing Kouji saw when he got into Takuya's car after school was Keiko. The first thing Kouji saw worth mentioning was Izumi's hand resting on top of Takuya's.

Kouichi clambered into the car behind him, apparently seeing the same thing as his brother, because he tilted his head to the side. "Uh…"

"Hey guys," the brunette teen said as he began pulling out of the parking lot.

"Hey yourself," Kouji replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Where did you guys want to go?" Izumi asked, turning around and smiling at the twins.

"Anywhere's fine with me," Kouichi said, ever so kind.

The younger twin had no fear. "There's that new couple's café downtown. You're only permitted if you have a date."

Keiko gawked. "Kouji!"

"I heard about that place!" the blonde said, smiling brightly. Immediately, her smile turned to a frown. "But then you guys would be left out."

The entire backseat was completely silent.

"Well, Keiko could pretend to be one of their dates, then we could pick Michiko up or something."

Kouji's eyes narrowed and he began plotting.

"Let's just scrap that idea," Kouichi suggested gamely. "Um, how about-"

"Why the fuck are you two holding hands?" Kouji demanded, practically slapping the elephant in the room right on the ass.

Takuya and Izumi looked at each other, then back at Kouji. "We're sort of… seeing each other," the blonde said.

"What about Miyu?" Kouichi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I still need to sort things out with her," Takuya said sheepishly.

"Then the two of you shouldn't be together." Kouji looked like a pissed off cat.

"We're working things out," the brunette said as he turned down a side street. "It just takes time."

"So how about some ice cream?" Keiko asked weakly.

"Yeah, ice cream sounds great right about now, right?" Kouichi said, giving a forced smile. "Right guys? …Right?"

* * *

"Oh, Takuya, this is really good. Want a bite?"

"Sure… Wow, that is good."

"Isn't it? Here, have some more."

Izumi and Takuya were so busy sharing an ice cream sundae, that they didn't notice Kouji glaring at them. It was making him sick. First they shared an appetizer, then they shared an order of sushi, and now they were sharing ice cream and, oh.. OH, and now they were dolloping whipped cream on each other's noses? Get real.

"I could really go for some more ice cream," Takuya said exclusively to Izumi as he wrapped an arm around her. "Wanna share some more?"

"I'm on a diet…" Izumi tapped her chin. "Well, okay. Only if you promise to eat most of it."

The brunette winked, before waving for the waitress. "Gotcha."

The dark-haired girl came to the table, and Takuya asked for another banana split.

"I'll have it right out," she said, smiling as she walked away.

"She's nice," Kouichi offered.

"I don't know how you guys can have another one, I can barely finish this one," Keiko murmured, staring at her disgusting ice cream creation which consisted of mint ice cream, anchovies, gummy bears, marshmallows and relish. "It's so good though…"

"You're gross," Kouji said.

"I'm not gross, I'm an innovator."

Kouji rolled his eyes and went back to watching Izumi and Takuya. A part of him was confused, and another part was enraged. She was supposed to be his.

"The lights in here are really nice," Kouichi said awkwardly.

"Nobody _does_ this!" Kouji snapped. Everybody at the table stared at him. "Nobody fucking does this!" And then he got up and left.

"I think he was talking about your ice cream," Takuya said, nodding to Keiko.

* * *

"Miyako told me that she saw Izumi and Takuya making out in the hall during third mod," Natsumi said, peering over at Miyu to gauge her reaction.

The brunette scoffed. "Yeah right. Miyako's been jealous of me since like, seventh grade. Obsessed much?"

Natsumi smiled and finished putting her hair up. "You're right. I bet she's a lesbian or something."

Although she pretended differently, Miyu had a bad feeling that it was true. Takuya had been pretty distant towards her for the past couple of days…

* * *

"Takuya!"

The sweat-drenched brunette turned around, a little bit shocked to see his (actual) girlfriend standing behind the barrier of the indoor soccer field.

"Uh, hey Miyu." He jogged over to her. "What're you, uh, doing here?"

"I just thought that maybe I could pick you up from practice," she said, leaning in for a kiss.

He lurched backwards. "I smell, you're not going to want to be near me," he said. "And I drove here."

"Then let's hang out or something. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"It's Wednesday. We just hung out Sunday."

"Are you avoiding me?" she demanded. "Because if you are-"

"I'm not avoiding you, for God's sake." He walked away. "I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Takuya, you can't fucking avoid me forever!" she screamed, getting looks from every person in the building.

He just kept going.

* * *

Izumi had a terrible day. It all started when she opened her locker and her books were all gone, with nothing left behind. The blonde figured it was just a joke from one of the girls on her team, and moved on, explaining what happened to her teachers.

She still had high spirits, until she got out of the shower after gym class to find her clothes missing. Luckily, Michiko gave her an extra school uniform she had in her locker. It really sucked, walking around for the rest of the day without a bra or underwear (especially since the uniforms consisted of skirts).

That didn't really keep her down though. Her friends all made her laugh in her classes, and she managed to keep a moderately high morale.

That was until Natsumi took a pair of scissors to the back of her skirt during class, and she didn't notice until she stood up and it fell down. Kouichi was there though, and he held the torn piece of fabric up while he walked the blonde to the nurse's office.

Izumi was a fighter though, and refused to be kept down by people's stupidity. So before cheerleading practice, she drove home to grab some new undergarments and came back to the school. When she met her friend Moriko in the locker rooms, the dark haired teen showed her a picture of Izumi's ass on her phone that had apparently gotten around the school.

"Are you fucking serious?"

"Well, at least you have a nice ass."

And so Izumi trudged through practice like a pissed off zombie. But as a grand finale, when Izumi went out to her car, she found the tires slashed.

In her hysterical state, Orimoto Izumi laughed maniacally.

* * *

"Hi pretty."

"Save it," Izumi snapped, getting into Takuya's car.

"What's the matter?"

"Your fucking girlfriend is what's the matter!" she yelled. "She took my stuff, slashed my tires and now there are pictures of my ass going around the school!"

"I know. It's my new screensaver."

"Takuya!"

"Sorry. Why do you think she's doing this?"

She stared. "Why do you think? It's because you're pretending to cheat on her with _me_."

"Oh, right." Takuya chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, right," Izumi sneered, glaring out the window.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I denied hanging out with Miyu in a really mean way a couple days ago."

"Gee, I feel much better. Bring me home."

"You don't want to chill with your BF?"

"No."

"Fine, fine." Takuya took a left. "You okay?"

Slowly, her icy gaze turned to him. "What. Do. You. _Think?_"

He grinned. "Sorry."

* * *

"I think I'm the perfect contender for a boyfriend," Kouji slurred, head resting on Keiko's lap. "Don't you?"

"Of course." Keiko nodded gravely, patting his head.

"Perfect boyfriend," Kouichi added, rubbing his back.

"I've been nothing but good to her. I'm nice to her, and friendly and good. But nooo." He clapped his hands. "I just get smacked down. Maybe this is how all the other girls I've turned down feel."

"You should keep that in mind for the future," Kouichi said.

Kouji tapped his temple. "Noted." After a pause, he continued. "But Takuya of all people? Takuya… Takuya, he…" He seemed to struggle for the words. "He really just sucks. I'm better."

"Absolutely," Keiko agreed.

"I don't think you should've given him drinks."

The brunette peered at the older twin. "I didn't give him the drinks, remember? Keiji did."

"We didn't exactly stop him."

"Oh, he's fine. Look, he's sharing his feelings. This is the nicest he's ever been."

"This is how I really actually am," Kouji murmured.

"No it's not."

"I know."

"Kouji, do you want some water?" Kouichi asked.

"I want another drink. Not water though."

Kouichi sighed. "Beer?"

"Yep."

* * *

"H-Hey guys! What brings you here…?" Kouichi asked, staring at the couple in the doorway.

"I need to have an emergency meeting with Keiko," Izumi said, looking pissed.

"And I'm just along for the ride with my sweetums," Takuya added, giving the blonde a little kissy face.

"Uh, well, now might not be the right time."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Are you… hooking up with Keiko?"

"What?" Kouichi sputtered. "Of course not! Why would you even think that?"

"This is really important Kouichi." Izumi batted her eyelashes at him. "I really need to see her. Please?"

The elder twin nodded slowly. "Just hang on one second…"

He scampered up the stairs and Izumi and Takuya just stared after him. "What's his problem? You think he's having an Atsuko-related manic episode?" Takuya whispered to the blonde.

"Shut the fuck up," she snapped back, as the teen was barely halfway up the stairs. "Your big mouth's going to get you in trouble one of these days."

"You know what my big mouth's perfect for?"

"Sucking cock?"

Takuya glared. "Bitch."

Kouichi and Keiko came down the stairs, a sunglasses wearing, practically drooling Kouji. "What's up guys?" Keiko asked, forcing a grin.

"Uh, nothing. What's up with him?" Izumi asked.

"Hey, don't go talking about me like I'm not standing right here. Don't go talking."

Takuya squinted. "Is he drunk?"

"Yeah… He kinda took shots with Keiji…" Kouichi murmured, scratching the back of his head.

"You wanna know why I God damn did it?" Kouji asked, ripping his sunglasses off and falling against his twin. "I did it because of-"

Kouichi covered his mouth. "No need for that Kouji. Heh heh."

"Maybe he should lay down," Izumi said, placing a hand on his cheek. "Are you alright?"

"Don't touch me you fucking harlot."

"OKAY Kouji, let's go upstairs now and take a nap," Keiko exclaimed, dragging him up the stairs. "Come on!"

"Cracker Barrel."

* * *

"And now there are pictures of my ass circulating throughout the school," Izumi finished with a sigh.

"Oh shit," Keiko murmured under her breath.

"Yeah 'oh shit'." The blonde stared at the ceiling. "And I don't know what to do now."

"You should just own it," Kouichi said. "When people ask, say 'Yeah, that's my ass. What about it?'"

"He's right. With an ass like that, you should have no worries," Takuya said, nodding.

"That's not helping," Izumi grumbled.

"Right, sorry."

"So what's Kouji's problem anyway? He was so rude to me when I came over."

Keiko and Kouichi exchanged nervous glances. "He's just drunk," the latter said, laughing awkwardly. "I'm sure he didn't mean it, and he'll apologize tomorrow."

"Should I go up and talk to him?" the blonde asked.

"No!" The two cried.

Keiko cleared her throat. "No… I mean, what's the point in that?"

"Yeah, you guys are right…" She sighed. "It's just been a really shitty day."

"Sorry," Takuya said, placing a hand on her knee. "This is kind of my fault. I should talk to Miyu."

"Do you think it would help?" Izumi glanced at the brunette.

"I would hope so. She'll listen to me. I'm hot, remember?"

"No."

* * *

Miyu stared at the candid picture of Izumi and Takuya holding hands on her computer screen, shaking with rage.

"I'm going to fucking kill them!" she shrieked, smashing her fist into the desk.

Underneath the picture, was the name of the sender: Lilith.

* * *

Shitty shitty chapter. Boo. Question of the week: since this story's coming to a close, what do you guys think I should do next? Just curious.

Have a fabulous evening ladies and gents! :D


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